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Chapter 500: Blood-Red Moonlight Tonight (1)

"Squeak... squeak... squeak..."

The wind rustled the windows, producing eerie creaks. Curtains danced with the wind, and an indistinct light seeped through the windows, casting bright squares on the floor. As Khonshu followed Schiller through the corridors of the madhouse, it felt as though his finger was gliding over the black and white keys of a steel piano.

Khonshu was different from other demon gods. He would possess Moon Knight in the form of moonlight and venture into humanity's society with them. As a result, he wasn't entirely ignorant of things within human society. At the very least, he could recognize that this was the corridor of a hospital.

However, simultaneously, this corridor felt somewhat unfamiliar to him. The wavy letters were absent from the walls, replaced by square characters that felt oddly familiar to Khonshu. They resembled the intricate lines of ancient Egyptian script he had often used, complex strokes like a painting.

In his recollections, Khonshu remembered seeing this type of script in the mind of a certain agent. It came from a distant eastern land, just as ancient as Khonshu's own ancient Egypt.

As Khonshu walked forward, he turned his head to observe the walls of the hospital corridor. The lower half of the walls was painted in shades of blue and green, followed by white wainscoting. The colored paint was faded and worn, giving the walls a slightly dilapidated appearance.

Khonshu was an ancient demon god, but he was also the one among all the space demon gods who was closest to humanity. He gained faith from ancient Egyptians and had continuously guarded that ancient realm and humanity from within his temple.

His way of thinking differed from humanity's, but precisely because he was so close to them, he could better understand these small lives.

In his view, humanity harbored endless and beautiful fantasies. They would exhaust their imaginations to craft an ideal world in their minds. Former Moon Knights had all done so.

However, the person walking ahead of him seemed somewhat different. Khonshu didn't understand why Schiller's mind held an image of a slightly decrepit mental hospital.

The window frames, sun-faded and the peeling wall paint, pitted baseboards, doors and walls adorned with texts and numbers of small ads – even the glass and tile floors appeared misty and hadn't been cleaned for a long time.

"Where are we going?" Khonshu asked. "Where is the personality you believe to be the strongest?"

"Don't rush. Before that, we need to discuss the terms," Schiller said as he walked forward.

"Yes, humanity always likes to negotiate terms. Everyone I've encountered has been like that," Khonshu replied, unsurprised.

"Before that, should you introduce yourself to me? Moon God Khonshu, who are you exactly? Why did you choose a proxy with Dissociative Identity Disorder?"

"I don't know if you have an understanding of divine positions, but if you've interacted with many demon gods through the organization known as the Sanctum Sanctorum, then you should be aware of how important humanity's faith is to us."

"To gain humanity's faith, there are two methods. The first is to descend to the mortal world, showcasing your own strong power, revealing your true name, and making people believe in you as a deity…"

"The other method is to incarnate as a natural phenomenon already revered by humanity, such as the sun, moon, birth, death, spring, winter, and so on."

"You chose the latter?" Schiller asked, turning his head slightly.

"Correct. However, many demon gods have chosen this path. These natural phenomena can also give rise to concept demon gods. But the revered phenomena in humanity are limited, which leads to overlap in divine positions."

"From what I know, nearly every divine lineage has a deity related to the sun, moon, fire, water, and so on. They have similar roles. So how is faith allocated?"

"That's exactly what I want to talk about." Khonshu's deep voice echoed through the corridor. Due to Schiller's uniqueness, he had the patience to explain further. "Earth's sun gods and Moon Gods are abundant, but we each serve different purposes."

"I represent the changes of the moon. Ancient Egyptians carved depictions of the moon's various phases into walls as hieroglyphs, incorporating them into their writing. The moon's changing forms symbolized the passage of time, so I became the deity representing each of the moon's forms."

"This is why, unlike other demon gods, I don't merely grant my proxies power; I can inhabit the minds of hosts and manifest at any time and place."

"As many moon phases as there are, there are just as many of me. I'm in a constant state of transformation among various forms, lacking a definite essence."

"That's why I choose proxies who resemble my own fluctuating state. I choose them to become Moon Knights because I am uncertain, and they are uncertain. In this state, they can better harness my power."

"So, if you choose me as your proxy, projecting your power onto me, what would you like me to do?"

Schiller's question made Khonshu fall silent. He was hearing a human actively inquire about the cost of his power for the first time. But after a moment of silence, he still spoke, "In fact, you should have been the one to do this because everything that's happened is because of the Sanctum Sanctorum."

Schiller felt as though he heard a sigh from Khonshu. Following that, he heard Khonshu's voice again:

"Those Egyptian gods who joined the Sanctum Sanctorum disrupted the tranquility of the heavenly realm, gaining more potent power, and thus, seeking higher status."

"Even though, a long time ago, I was exiled from the heavenly realm, others were exiled as well. Among them was Ammit, who shares the responsibility of punishing wrongdoers with me."

"He engaged in transactions with the heavenly gods, gaining even greater power and allowing his followers to roam the mortal world, establish sects, and gain faith. But I couldn't stand by and let such things happen..."

"Why? Because his jurisdiction overlaps with yours?"

Khonshu shook his head. "We bear some old grudges, but more so, our philosophies clash. Moonlight complements sunlight; darkness and light are inseparable. I exist in the places where light cannot reach, punishing wrongdoers who tread in the darkness..."

"What about Ammit?"

"He wants to destroy all the sinful individuals in this world…"

"How does he define 'sinful'?"

"That's the problem. In Ammit's eyes, as long as you have the potential for crime, even if you've just entertained a criminal thought, you should die."

"He's like Death's underling, trying to boost his boss's performance?"

After Schiller said this, he could clearly see Khonshu pause briefly. Then Khonshu continued, "I don't understand what you mean by 'performance,' but he does have a relationship with the god of death."

"The relationships among the heavenly gods are complex, and the power granted by the Sanctum Sanctorum to a portion of them disrupted the original balance. If Ammit were to truly break free, it would be a catastrophe for humanity."

"Do you want me to eliminate Ammit?"

Khonshu nodded, but then shook his head. "I will grant you Moon Knight's power, and you only need to ensure that Ammit won't escape."

"Deal." Schiller agreed without hesitation.

They continued walking forward, and looking from the window, Schiller's figure seemed small in comparison to the towering Khonshu.

The two figures—one tall and one short—slowly moved down the corridor. The terrifying skull-headed hawk floated slightly in mid-air. Yet, humanity ahead seemed entirely unaware, walking ahead without looking back.

The scene was eerie and mysterious, as they moved from one end of the window to the other. Finally, Schiller stopped and stood before a door, labeled "1003."

Khonshu stood behind Schiller, looking through the observation window on the door. He could see darkness within the room, illuminated only by a small overhead light, casting a dim glow. Within that haze, he could discern the figure of a person standing in the center of the room.

However, Schiller didn't open the door. He stood in front of it, silent for a moment, then spoke as if talking to himself:

"A person's growth experiences will shape their personality. Certain unique experiences may imbue certain traits into them."

"And it's these traits that constitute a complete personality: candid, shy, passionate, cold, gentle, violent…"

"Me and him..." Schiller extended his hand, pointing towards the person in the room, and then said, "including all the Schillers you see here, we are different traits of a single personality."

"In truth, there's only one personality here, and that's the high tower you've seen before."

"I've never seen anything like this before." Khonshu's words were always straightforward, sounding strangely naïve.

Schiller reached out, pressing his finger against the observation window on the door. He said, "Any personality traits appearing here don't manifest out of thin air. They originate from a segment of my life experiences..."

"What do you represent?" Khonshu asked.

"Greed," Schiller, dressed in a white coat, replied.

It seemed like it had been a long time since he had discussed such matters with someone. Schiller appeared to be rather engrossed in the conversation. He said, "When I first arrived in this world, the emotions I felt were not fear, not bewilderment, but greed…"

"What were you greedy for?"

"Power," Schiller responded without hesitation. He said, "But not the kind of power used for fighting..."

"Long ago, I discovered that I could derive a fulfilling, self-propelling force from interacting with others, from deducing their psychological states, analyzing their personalities—activities that intrigued me and allowed me to function."

"Upon arriving in this new world, I knew there were many people and matters of interest to me. How they grew into who they are today, their mindsets and motivations for their pursuits—these questions piqued my curiosity."

"So, when I first encountered someone I felt strongly interested in, the trait of greed surfaced and shaped me into what I am now."

"An intriguing state." Khonshu commented.

"What appearance a facet of personality presents is determined by when its predominant traits surface."

"Once upon a time, this trait often emerged when I was working as a psychologist. Throughout my practice, I was curious about patients describing their mental states and journeys. Peering into their souls, sketching their personalities, analyzing their mental worlds—these activities satisfied my greed."

"Thus, this trait's manifestation takes the form of a psychologist, existing in the real world as well as in the mental realm, maintaining a doctor's role."

Moon God Khonshu was quite an apt confidant. As an ancient demon god, he couldn't understand humanity's concept of psychology and psychoanalysis, and even if he did, he wouldn't spread such knowledge. Therefore, Schiller explained many aspects of his mental state that others wouldn't have the patience to hear apart from peers in the field.

"So, what about you in this room?" Khonshu asked. "What does he represent? Why do you feel he's the most combative?"

"He represents the violent traits within my personality." Schiller's response didn't surprise Khonshu, as it was logical that if one were to pinpoint the trait that is the most forceful and capable of exhibiting maximum combat ability in a person's personality, it would indeed be violence.

"Why don't you open the door?"

Schiller didn't directly answer the question. He just raised his head to survey the corridor's surroundings. He said, "Some traits within my personality are extremely dangerous—like violence, madness, apathy, morbidity, and so forth..."

"These traits reside in buildings unique to them. Often, they're memories from a time when I possessed such traits. For instance, the violent trait resides in this asylum..."

"So, you've lived in this asylum before?" Khonshu inquired.

Schiller nodded, seemingly remembering something, but he didn't explain this matter. Instead, he continued, "To enter the buildings where they reside, you need special keys held by the 'superego.' If the 'superego,' representing societal rules and morals, doesn't grant the keys, these traits cannot surface."

"According to common logic, when individuals resort to violence or descend into madness, they are restrained by the societal rules and morals embedded in their thoughts. Whenever they contemplate such matters, worries arise, and the factors of violence or madness in their personality are temporarily suppressed..."

At that very moment, from the end of the corridor they had traversed, a series of hurried footsteps approached. A small figure rushed over. Khonshu saw that it was a younger version of Schiller, holding an indistinct gray object in his arms.

Schiller said, "Here comes the key."

Younger Schiller sprinted to the door with pattering steps, then halted and turned, handing over a key to Schiller.

Moon God Khonshu asked, "Is he also a trait within your personality? What does he represent?"

"He's the id, representing my instincts."

Moon God Khonshu bent down, gently touched the younger Schiller's head, and the young Schiller looked up at him, seemingly devoid of fear. Moon God Khonshu asked him, "What do you have in your arms?"

Younger Schiller glanced down at the grayish Samsa in his arms, pursed his lips, shook his head. Moon God Khonshu straightened up and looked at Schiller, asking, "Why can't your instincts speak?"

Schiller unlocked the door with the key, saying, "Remember what I said earlier? All traits emerge from a segment of my life experiences..."

"The content of that experience determines the appearance and characteristics of that trait..."

As he spoke, Schiller opened the door while turning his head to glance back at the corridor. He looked at the young Schiller, who was gradually moving away with the gray Samsa still in his arms. When he thought of something, he forcibly turned his head back, looking into the room.

Within the room, the figure wore the attire of a fully institutionalized mental patient, bound in several iron chains that were fastened to the walls and ceiling. A metal protective mask covered his mouth.

The only part of his body not encased in clothing was his eyes and brows. Khonshu noticed that he looked exactly like the Schiller before him, only much younger, just a teenager.

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