Chapter 2991 The First and Last Fire

"Actually, I'm also thinking about this issue." Joan stretched out an eye stalk, stroked her daughter's forehead, and said thoughtfully: "The current situation of Udinos is like a primitive man living in a dark wasteland where monsters are rampant." The tribe, the prophets in the tribe stole the holy fire from the sky, where the fire shines, the ferocious monsters dare not invade, and the people in the tribe bathe in the fire, so they can get safety."

"However, the protection of the holy fire is not free. If you want to keep the holy fire burning, you have to add firewood regularly. Ordinary dry firewood is not enough. You must use healthy unmarried men and women in the tribe as sacrifices, push the fire and burn them alive. After the burnt offering ceremony, the holy fire can emit the brilliance of deterring monsters."

Inanna listened intently, expecting her adoptive mother to continue telling this rather cruel fable.

"In the beginning, the tribe held a burnt offering ceremony every year, and a pair of unmarried young men and women were enough sacrifices."

"Compared to the safety of the entire tribe, such a sacrifice is worthwhile. There are also noble young people in the tribe who volunteered to sign up as sacrifices, sacrificing their young lives, and their souls merged into the sacred fire, turning into a radiance that dispels monsters, protecting relatives and friends with compatriots."

"However, day after day, year after year, the flames from the heavens are polluted by human fireworks, and the sacred power gradually declines. People have to add more firewood to keep the holy fire's effect of expelling monsters."

"The annual burnt offering ceremony increases from the initial two offerings to four, eight, sixteen..."

"As the number of sacrifices continues to increase, the tribal residents' attitude towards sacrifices has gradually changed. They question whether it is worth paying such a large sacrifice?"

"Young people, as the group of sacrifices, have the strongest voice of resistance. Now no one volunteers to sacrifice themselves as firewood, and the tribe has to use lottery to select sacrifices."

"Those who won the lottery may not be willing to submit, and there are endless incidents of escape and even rebellion."

"Because the sacrifices for burnt offerings are getting bigger and bigger, too many unmarried young people are being pushed into the fire as firewood, resulting in age gaps in the entire tribe, and fewer and fewer newborns. If this trend continues to deteriorate, in the foreseeable future, it is inevitable Couldn't make enough offerings to keep the holy fire burning."

"Where is this holy fire? It's clearly a curse!"

Inanna couldn't help but interrupt.

"That's right, the holy fire that was widely revered by the people that originally protected this tribe has now turned into a vicious curse, deeply hated by people, but they cannot do without this pile of flames. The whole tribe will be swallowed by the holy fire, day after day One day sinks into the abyss of despair."

Joan sighed, and continued: "There is a more sad and absurd fact than this - when the day comes when the tribe dies, the unattended holy fire will also be extinguished, and it can be said that they will die together."

"Is it necessary to maintain this coexistence mode that is destined to perish together?" Inanna asked loudly: "My lord, what happened to those young people who refused to serve as firewood and fled the tribe?"

"They haven't returned to their hometown, and the people in their hometown don't know their fate. There is a high probability that they died in the dark wasteland, swallowed by monsters, and there are no bones left."

Before Joan finished speaking, Inanna rushed to say:

"But there is also a glimmer of hope, even if it is only a slight possibility, the young people who walked out of the tribe were forced to improve their strength and wisdom in the fight against the monsters, become stronger and more united, and finally survived and succeeded in the wilderness. Open up a new home?"

"My lord, you can't deny that there is such a possibility, right?"

Inanna couldn't restrain her excitement, her eyes flashed with fanaticism.

"Yes, Inanna, although the road is tortuous, the hope is slim, and the future is bleak, I must admit that there are no absolutes in this world."

A bitter smile appeared on the corner of Joan's lips.

"Those young people who have the courage to escape the protection and curse of the holy fire may indeed create a new world in the perilous wasteland and live a happy life that their conservative fathers could not imagine."

"So, isn't the tribe guarding the fire in the same situation as our Udinos?" Inanna already understood the intention of her adoptive mother in telling this fable, "We should be content with the status quo and guard a bunch of destined Do you want to linger on the extinguished holy flame, or venture into the fireless wilderness and try to find a new way out?"

Joan nodded slightly, and said to her daughter with deep emotion: "Inanna, we live in a sick world. In the past, the disease was mainly manifested in calling healthy people sick and forcing them to treat them. Later, it was reversed. People are very sick and yet they make up a story and pretend they're all healthy."

"If you respect someone's free will, respect the way they choose to live, including but not limited to sickness, madness, despair, and even self-destruction."

"Do you choose to guard the tradition, act as firewood, burn yourself to shine on Udinos, force your compatriots to sacrifice freedom, maintain public order with fear and resentment towards you, and ensure that the homeland of the beholders can be temporarily maintained in the underdark region where the weak prey on the strong Peace and stability?"

"It's better to simply overthrow the existing order, extinguish the holy fire called tradition, completely liberate Udinos, return freedom to your compatriots, and let them do whatever they want according to their own nature, even if it means sacrificing the whole world. The unity and stability of the beholder society may eventually lead to the collapse of the city's order and decline?"

"Spread fire or extinguish fire, order or freedom, two roads are before you, Inanna, what choice do you have?"

Finally, Joan added solemnly.

"I'm sorry, my daughter, this time, mother won't make up your mind for you."