Eternal Consciousness

Long, long ago, a royal priest of the Samo Kingdom had a sudden idea.

"If the outer layer of consciousness, the power of thought, can materialize as mental power, and if the core of consciousness - wisdom and memory - could also transform along with mental power and materialize independently..."

"Then, when the body is about to decay, couldn't we transplant wisdom and memory independently into another body?"

"Wouldn't the Trilobite Men then achieve immortality?"

Once this mad idea was planted like a seed, it quickly took root and sprouted, impossible to erase.

Touching the taboo of immortality with a mortal body is the deepest desire hidden in every mortal's heart.

Even knowing that touching it might come at an unimaginably terrible price, mortals would still try at all costs.

Only priests possessed the power of wisdom, so the royal priest could only use other priests for experiments.

But before long, his evil deeds of using his own kind as experimental subjects were exposed, along with his cruel underground laboratory, revealed to everyone.

All those with mythical bloodlines unanimously demanded the death of this madman.

Whether they were royalty, priestly families with the power of wisdom, or the kingdom's nobles.

But when that generation's Samo family king killed the royal priest, he preserved the research results.

In secret, the Samo family had always been exploring the secrets and methods of immortality.

"Tap tap!"

Princess Saliman's footsteps echoed clearly as she walked through the prison, stepping in puddles.

Looking at one strange lunatic after another, bizarre life forms, even beings that might not qualify as life.

Suddenly, her chest heaved, and she felt a strong urge to vomit.

She turned back to look at the King of the Samo Kingdom.

That gaze, as if she was seeing her father for the first time.

"So these people..."

"Were all once priests, even members of our Samo family?"

"Father, how could you do this?"

She had heard rumors that the Samo family possessed immortality techniques, but she didn't know the details were like this.

His Majesty the King's eyes were cold, and he spoke without the slightest concern: "Most of them volunteered, or were already near death."

"I gave them a chance to live again. They should thank me."

Princess Saliman's voice changed, unsure if it was from fear or disbelief that these words came from her father.

"Did they know they would end up like this?"

If given the choice, she would rather die than become like this.

His Majesty snorted coldly: "To grasp the power of immortality, one must be willing to pay the price."

"Although there are some flaws, I did give them a chance to live again."

The King himself was also a high-level priest, even a very talented one.

Most of the beings here were his work, with only a few created by the kingdom's high-level priests under his leadership.

He stood in front of one of the cells, reaching out to touch the head of a Prawn Knight reciting the covenant.

His eyes reflected nothing but obsession and longing.

"This is immortality, a power only gods possess."

"Look at them."

"How perfect, how powerful this force is."

"The will of the dead leaves their bodies, continuing to exist in another."

"The immortality technique, refined through generations, has finally borne fruit."

"I have made immortality possible."

The anxiety and madness on his face dissipated, replaced by confidence.

In the face of his immortality technique, he was completely different.

Saliman looked at the beings in the prison cells. Each one was in a daze, not a single normal existence among them.

Those who could speak incoherently were already the best off.

Most were like puddles of mud, writhing on the ground like insects, covered in foul-smelling filth, gnawing on garbage.

She stepped forward, kneeling on the ground and grasping her father's right arm with both hands.

"Can this be called success?"

"My King!" she pleaded. "Please, give up! There's still time."

"Don't try anymore, this is too terrible."

"We can negotiate with Henir, we can..."

Before she could finish, the King shook her off.

"Negotiate?"

"Negotiate with a false king? Make peace with a lowly person who stole royal power? And then surrender to him and bow our heads?"

"Besides, what nonsense are you talking?"

"I have not failed, and they are not mad."

Princess Saliman collapsed on the ground, looking around.

Then, with an expression more painful than crying, she exclaimed incredulously: "My King! How can you not see this as failure?"

The King began to explain his immortality technique: "They are in chaos only because two sets of wisdom and memories overlap, and no one knows which is dominant."

"Their consciousnesses conflict with each other, that's why they fall into confusion."

"But," he continued, his voice rising with excitement, "I have found a solution - the true immortality technique."

"We will achieve true immortality, without even needing to change bodies."

The King's expression gradually became extremely fervent.

He spread his arms, even rising on his tiptoes, his whole body tense with effort.

"The Ruhe beasts."

"The power of the beasts will give us infinite possibilities."

"The Ruhe beasts have no wisdom, they are the most suitable vessels for the wisdom rebirth technique."

"We will not only become immortal, but also eternally possess the power of the beasts."

"What son of black mud, what beast power."

"From now on," he declared, his voice echoing with grandeur, "we will be eternal myths, immortal beasts!"

"Nothing can stop us anymore. Age, death, enemies will all turn to dust before this power. Even the sky and earth cannot hinder us."

His Majesty the King trembled with excitement, spittle flying from his mouth.

He finally revealed his plan: he would transfer his wisdom and memories into the body of a Ruhe beast.

He would become immortal along with the beast, and forever possess its great power.

However, the King and the kingdom's priest group had tried with many people, transferring consciousness into other Trilobite Men, even into Prawn Knights and the Abyss criminals.

But he had never tried with a Ruhe beast.

Because only the king, or the king's heir, could control the Ruhe beasts.

But now the time had come.

He looked at his daughter, his face full of mad smiles, approaching her with what he thought was kindness.

"Come, my daughter," he coaxed, his voice unsettlingly gentle.

"Would you like to try this power of immortality for your great father, to be the first?"

Princess Saliman looked into her father's eyes and felt as if she had fallen into an icy pit.

She finally understood why the King had brought her to see the power of the immortality technique.

Princess Saliman gazed at the mad king, his smile so terrifying in her eyes.

She looked at her father as if seeing a horrifying shadow crawling out of the abyss.

"No~"

"I don't want to!"

"Father! I don't want to become like this."

The princess got up from the ground, trying to flee in terror.

However, just as she rushed out of the passage into the central chamber of the castle, tentacles of the Desert Worm burst through the stone slabs, binding her.

A large hole opened in the ground, and she was dragged down into it.

Beneath the castle was an open space like a plaza, with light stones embedded in the walls illuminating the darkness.

Dozens of priests from the kingdom's priest group were already standing waiting at the edge of the plaza, their expressions solemn and grave.

They were preparing for a grand and sacred ritual.