Karen answered calmly.
"Let's go, let's meet up with Hayden first. There are some things we need to let him know."
Pania looked at the city of Aztland swallowed by the black tide, feeling somewhat saddened. But she knew the gravity of the situation, and besides, Mikt, who was unable to move, was on her shoulder, so Pania didn't say anything more, only secretly making a big note for Smoke Mirror in her mental notebook.
When the time is right, retribution will come.
And they really don't have much time to waste.
--------------------------
Meanwhile, on Hayden's side, they didn't fully know what had happened on Aztland.
But Hayden wasn't stupid. He saw that all the clones had stopped functioning, and he saw the world change, the whole of South America was sealed off, Karen couldn't be contacted (the circular ritual arena and the outside world were also isolated), and the sun overhead had turned black. Even a fool would know something was wrong—and everyone could guess that it was probably the Smoke Mirror's doing.
So Hayden immediately ordered everyone to be on high alert and make all necessary preparations. Not long after, Karen and the others arrived, and the situation became even clearer:
Smoke Mirror flipped the table! He's going to eat everyone up!
However, after hearing about Karen's brief exchange with Smoke Mirror, Hayden immediately noticed something strange: "You said Smoke Mirror has twice the power of a main god?"
Karen frowned: "I know this is hard to believe, but it's the result of my own combat testing."
“Uh, I didn’t mean to say it’s unbelievable.” Hayden rubbed his temples. “Do you remember during the last battle between the main gods, when I used my clone to cast a [Resurrection] on the clone Micket?”
“Of course I remember. But the [Resurrection] spell failed… Oh, I see.” Karen’s brows furrowed even deeper. “You said that your spell back then hit something particularly heavy, something particularly huge, something that couldn’t be transformed immediately… just like this time.”
Something extremely heavy and enormous that cannot be transformed immediately.
For example, a sun.
Therefore, the couple had come to the same conclusion: "The Smoke Mirror does indeed possess two god-level powers. He holds two suns in his hands."
There's a saying that there can't be two suns in the sky, or two kings on the land. This is certainly true, but there's still room for maneuver in witchcraft.
The sun hangs high in the sky during the day, arrogant and domineering. There is indeed only one sun, the king of all gods.
But when the sun sets at night and disappears below the horizon, is it still the sun? Is a sun that no longer shines the same sun? Probably not. The sun of the day and the sun of the night, the living sun and the dead sun, are not necessarily the same in mythology; they may not share the same name and power.
Therefore, although there cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two kings on earth, in the underworld, underground, there can be a death sun that is the opposite of life.
"We were all fooled by the Smoke Mirror. We thought what was blocking us was the Smoke Mirror's own divine power, but in reality, it's probably mostly not, not even that black sun spewing pus in the sky right now! That's Miktikashiva!"
Hayden, finally realizing what was happening, gritted his teeth.
"The Smoke Mirror itself is at the level of a standard unit of a main god, and it also has a shield at the level of a standard unit of a main god. Of course, neither of us can budge it!"
This is an incredibly simple and direct tactic. Leaving aside Hayden, Kallen, as a top-tier deity, could actually contend with a single main god, and certainly wouldn't necessarily lose. However, when Smoke Mirror relies on a second main god to operate with a dual-core strategy, simultaneously unleashing the power of two main gods, no matter how much regal aura Kallen possesses, she simply cannot win!
“But this is just a theory. Even if magic can be constructed in theory, resources can’t just appear out of thin air. Where did Smoke Mirror secretly hoard a portion of god-level power from?” Karen was still puzzled. “Moreover, Smoke Mirror Company has never built an artificial underworld, at least not openly, nor has it appeared on any market.”
Hearing this, some might think, "So what if it's not out in the open? Which god doesn't have their own secret technology development?" That's certainly true. But even if a god can create the framework for an artificial underworld using independently developed, confidential theories, He still needs to fill it with souls. An artificial underworld without souls, or one that's too small, is just an empty shell, let alone possessing god-level power.
Moreover, Smoke Mirror Corporation is the weakest of the giant corporations. Hayden, who has been traveling throughout South America for the past two months spying, has already discovered many of Smoke Mirror Corporation's weaknesses—although Smoke Mirror Corporation's pure power is not much weaker than the other three giant corporations, they have to expend too much energy to maintain their own living environment. They even have to rely on factories to produce their population; almost all living things are created by themselves, and the ecological cycle must be maintained entirely by their own money… While the advantage of this is that it allows them to control order, the disadvantage is that the cost is simply too high and too wasteful.
If Smoke Mirror really has a way to secretly hoard a God-level resource under these circumstances, then—Hayden really doesn't know what to say. His skill is too great; he can only prostrate himself in awe.
So the truth is probably not like that. Everyone says that Smoke Mirror is good at coming up with conspiracies on the fly, but nobody says that he is particularly good at operations.
“Hey, I have to remind you two, we only have a little over an hour to prepare.” Hela didn’t participate in Hayden and Karen’s discussion, but she still spoke up at this moment. “You need to come up with a plan before then, otherwise we’ll have no choice but to fight head-on against the power of two gods.”
Karen immediately retorted to her mother, "That doesn't necessarily mean we can't win."
That's exactly right. Even though Smoke Mirror now possesses two parts of the main god's power, while Karen only has one, she believes she still has a chance to win. Even at a disadvantage, she still has the fighting spirit to not give up and the will to go all out. Even if Hayden can't come up with a solution to unravel Smoke Mirror's scheme, and Karen has to fight two against one, she will still stretch out her arms and wrestle with Him to see who will have the last laugh.
“It’s not impossible to fight head-on,” Panya said weakly from the side. “But shouldn’t we evacuate the civilians first? I don’t think we can let more ordinary people get swept up in that black tide and devoured. Besides, that would only make the artificial underworld power of the Smoke Mirror stronger.”
She still had the real Micket on her shoulder. The debt that the smoke goggles had thrown at her had left Micket immobile to this day.
...However, Panya's words made Hayden suddenly realize: "What did you say?"
"Huh? If I said we need to evacuate civilians or all South Americans will be eaten up by the Kuroshio Current, then obviously the Smoke Mirror will become even stronger!"
Hayden finally realized something that should have been obvious from the very beginning.
What is an artificial underworld? It's something created by the god of capital to house the souls of the dead. The Smoke Mirror Company turns the living into undead, making the human world a place where the dead can walk normally, creating the illusion that they don't need a second artificial underworld. But this is just a facade.
Hayden had spent some time in South America, and he knew very well that only a tiny fraction of the factory workers could be transformed into undead; the rest died in the arena as blood sacrifices in their middle or old age. The sacrificial system established by the Smoke Mirror Corporation absorbed their life force and soul, recycling them to create new creatures…
...However, factories do not need souls to create new life forms, just as other capitalist gods do not need to personally place souls into their incubation tanks when creating children. Souls never adhere to any conservation laws; they naturally appear at the moment of birth and naturally disappear with death. No one knows where the soul comes from, nor where it goes.
Unless you use magic to capture the soul before it disappeared.
For example, blood sacrifice gladiatorial combat.
Hayden turned to look at Mickett, who was slumped on Panya's shoulder. He had noticed it when he first met Mickett; the divine power emanating from her was like a black sun, a sun of the underworld. Furthermore, when Hayden first found Isham, he had entered the collective consciousness of the South Americans, where he saw a massive, black knot bound together within the social consciousness of South America. That knot was connected to all of Mickett's clones and her original self; it was their self hanging in the "clouds."
As Mickett had said before, she spent a thousand years devouring millions of blood sacrifice souls and experiencing countless coincidences before finally shaping herself and obtaining her current thoughts.
So Hayden finally, finally, finally understood.
He previously thought that Mickett was the underworld sun of South America, which wasn't entirely wrong, but he missed a crucial point:
The artificial underworld in South America is that enormous black knot floating in the realm of collective consciousness. That black knot is both the underworld and the underworld sun, and also the only true Miktiti Kashiwa.
The purpose of the Smoke Mirror's blood sacrifice duels wasn't simply to recycle resources, but also to collect and store souls during the blood sacrifice process. For at least hundreds or thousands of years, the souls of countless blood sacrifice victims were bound together in a supernatural way within the collective consciousness of society, forming a massive knot that was compressed into a deformed, chimeric soul.
Its name is Mikttikashiva.
She is the deadlock, the artificial underworld of South America, and the source of the second portion of the main god's power in the Smoke Mirror.
...Uh, should Hayden just kill Micket while she's immobilized? But after thinking it over, Hayden realized it might be pointless, since Micket's body was probably just a vessel for her cloud-based thoughts. That's why Smoke Mirror wasn't worried at all even when she saw Micket being taken away by Pania. In reality, Micket probably didn't have a physical body at all; the deadlock in that spiritual world was her true form.
The artificial underworld of South America is everything to Miket, and everything is Miket. The Smoke Mirror has never been connected to the underworld forces of South America; it has never merged with the power of death. It merely holds the reins of Miket Tikkahiva (the artificial underworld of South America).
But this conclusion leads to another very strange problem.
"...So what kind of god is the Smoke Mirror?"
Hayden suddenly asked,
“I used to think He was the sun of the night, but the sun of the night is the dead sun, and in reality, this is 100% Miktikashiva’s domain. The Smoke Mirror is not actually the Dark Sun God, nor is it the god of the underworld. Many people say He is the ‘Lord of the Present,’ but what exactly is the present?”
For a long time, when describing the divinity of the Smoke Mirror, people have actually used some elusive words. Everyone knows that He is an Old God, but Old Gods all have a physical form. Now, when Karen, Hela, and even Panya heard Hayden's question, they looked at each other blankly and realized that they didn't actually know what the Smoke Mirror's "physical form" really was.
He is not a fallen angel, nor a force of nature, nor rain, nor the sun, nor a mountain, nor the earth, nor corn, nor death… He is not anything tangible or visible. If He were a new god, it would be understandable, but as an old god, this is truly strange.
Perhaps this is the biggest lie of the Smoke Mirror. Perhaps He has been deceiving everyone and the gods all along, making everyone believe that He is just, uh, just some kind of undead sun god king or something.
There might only be one guy who knows the answer to this question.
“Mom,” Hayden turned to his mother-in-law and asked, “how much longer can the smoke goggles slow things down?”
Hela closed her eyes and sensed the Blood River energy for a while before replying, "About forty-five minutes. Then the black tide from the Smoke Mirror will rush out of the lake. Next comes the speed of the tsunami's spread."
Outside Lake Aztland lies a vast slum, including Todd's guerrilla base. This population exceeds the island's core population by more than ten times. If the Black Tide of the Smoke Mirror were to erupt, the scene would become utterly hellish.
"That's enough. We'll fight Him right here by the lake."
Hayden immediately made up his mind.
"Panya, go and evacuate the slums by the lake. Just pull them out of combat range. Karen, use all available resources and prepare the decisive battleground by the lake."
“I’ll take Angela to see Quetzalcoatl again and see if he’s interested in getting involved.”
358: Past and Present
Hayden, along with Angela and Mickett, who was still incapacitated, crossed space and returned to the secret base where the Smoke Mirror sealed Quetzalcoatl.
As they quickly moved away from the Smoke Mirror, Mickett gradually regained some strength and was finally able to move on her own. Hayden then released her, letting her fly on her own. However, it was clear to everyone that she was extremely weak, as if completely drained. The enormous debt from the Smoke Mirror still weighed heavily on her.
"If you're not going to fight Smoke Mirror, where are you going now?"
She asked weakly.
"What are the chances of winning against Smoke Mirror now?" Hayden countered. "I estimate at most 30%. Although Karen would say that 30% is enough to fight if necessary, I am the visionary and guide of this team. My job is to increase the team's chances of winning before the battle even begins."
"As for where we're going now, let me tell you: I'm going to take you to broaden your horizons."
For a moment, Mickett seemed to want to ask Hayden, "Are you kidding me?", but in the end, she didn't say anything. After being beaten up by the smoke goggles, Mickett looked genuinely haggard.
So Hayden wasn't in the mood to tease her.
After the guerrillas stormed Smoke Mirror's secret base last time, He replenished it with a new squad of warrior gods. A good idea, but Hayden now had neither the time to entangle with them nor the need to conceal his whereabouts. So, with a wave of his hand and a surge of immense power, he wiped out the entire squad of warrior gods, stormed into the secret base, and reached the white, South American-style pyramid.
Mickett, following behind Hayden, was somewhat stunned: "How could there be something like this here?"
"And there's something even more surprising."
Hayden looked up and shouted at the white pyramid.
"Remir!"
Before the words were finished, the enormous, emerald-green feathered serpent god poked its head out of the pyramid: "What happened, the chosen human child? I sense that Smoke Mirror did something."
Then He saw Mikt following behind Hayden and nodded to her in greeting: "Long time no see, Mikt Tikashiva. I'm so sorry to have shown you this indecent state."
"Quetzalcoatl?" Mickett was completely dumbfounded. "Weren't you already dead?"
The giant snake stuck out its tongue, making a wry smile that resembled a snake's: "It will be quite difficult for Smoke Mirror to kill me completely."
It seems that, apart from Smoke Mirror and Quetzalcoatl himself, even the old gods of South America were unaware that Quetzalcoatl was actually a fallen angel. This situation only further convinced Hayden of one thing: the entire South American pantheon had probably been fooled by Smoke Mirror for centuries.
This is really going to be a disaster.
“I know old friends have a lot to talk about, and you two seem to be related, but this is really not the time for you to reminisce.” Hayden waved his hand, interrupting their conversation. “The Smoke Mirror has sealed off all of South America, devoured all the avatars of the gods who came to witness the ceremony, devoured all the gods within the country, and wiped out all the citizens of Aztland. Now it’s still eating outwards, and it seems it will devour all living things in South America—Quetzalcoatl, I must defeat the Smoke Mirror and save South America, right now. Are you willing to help?”
Hayden's words startled Quetzalcoatl, but He immediately shook His head: "I already said last time, the chosen human child. If you can really defeat Smoke Mirror, I will naturally be at your beck and call. But it is definitely not possible for me to fight alongside Smoke Mirror."
Strange and strange.
This guy is clearly a fallen angel who was betrayed by Smoke Mirror and imprisoned in a pyramid to build a spaceship. At least he says he loves humanity. So why is he still unwilling to help fight Smoke Mirror?
“You know what? Remiel, your current reaction is really suspicious for a god who claims to ‘love humanity’.”
Hayden frowned.
"But I don't have time to argue about this with you right now. If you can't help me directly, can't you at least tell me some useful information?"
In fact, what Hayden wanted most from the beginning was intelligence. He had long guessed that it wouldn't be easy to drag Quetzalcoatl directly into a fierce battle with Smoke Mirror, but he didn't understand why.
Quetzalcoatl immediately lowered his large head: "If all you want is knowledge, then I will certainly tell the chosen child everything I know."
“Alright.” Hayden nodded. “I need to know what kind of god the Smoke Mirror is. I need to know His specific attributes, the attributes of a god.”
Hayden and his companions initially thought Smoke Mirror was a sun god, an immortal god, or some kind of wind-attribute god, but the battle today was becoming increasingly suspicious. Enemies whose true nature is unknown are the most troublesome; without seeking clarification from Quetzalcoatl, the outcome was uncertain.
To everyone's surprise, Quetzalcoatl was taken aback by Hayden's words: "You didn't know even now?"
"Stop making a fuss and just tell me." Hayden rubbed his temples. "I know Smoke Mirror isn't the sun god, and I know He isn't the god of death. Now I just want to know what His attributes are."
Unexpectedly, Quetzalcoatl shook his head again: "That is not true. The chosen child, the Smoke Mirror, is of course the sun god, and also the god of death."
……ah?
Hayden glanced at Mikt, who was standing not far behind him, and frowned even more: "Mikt Tikahiva is the underworld and the sun of the underworld in the Aztec world."
"Then who is the sun of the Aztec world?" Quetzalcoatl countered. "Micttikashiva and the underworld are merely deaths that have already occurred, suns that have already died. Who is the sun that is currently shining on the earth? Who is the death that is in progress? Who is the life that is currently living?"
"For the chosen child, death is not just the end result. Life and death, day and night, heaven and earth, are all ongoing processes, phenomena that are constantly in operation in the present moment."
Even now, Quetzalcoatl hasn't given a direct answer, but has only provided hints.
But at the same time, perhaps due to the lingering sense of unease, or perhaps due to a sudden intuition, Hayden finally understood.
That's why the Smoke Mirror is called the "Lord of the Present Moment".
He is not a fallen angel, nor a god of the earth, nor rain, nor the sun, nor a mountain, nor the earth, nor corn... Hayden thought He was not anything that could be seen or touched, but in reality it was because His being was so large that He would not be noticed at all!
"The smoke goggles are essentially the ecosystem of the entire South American continent."
The sun reflected on the obsidian (earth) symbolizes all the life-giving aspects of the entire South American continent: darkness and light, death and birth, decay and prosperity, and the manipulation that drives all of this.
If Miktiti Kashiva represents the "dead Aztec world," the god of the past in the underworld, then the Smoke Mirror undoubtedly represents the "present Aztec world," the god of the present human realm.
Moreover, Hayden wasn't stupid. After thinking about this, he recalled what Quetzalcoatl had said when they first met, and suddenly realized: "You said last time that you helped the Smoke Mirror build the Ark because your power as Remiel (God's Mercy) is to create and maintain the ecosystem!"
The Peacock King once told Hayden that fallen angels had descended from the heavens and created a feudal world on Earth. The feathered serpent god was the earliest god-king of the Aztecs, and His power was to create and maintain ecosystems.
"You said Smoke Mirror was your sworn brother last time, but you were lying to me." Hayden looked at Quetzalcoatl again, finally becoming somewhat annoyed. "Smoke Mirror is actually an Old God you created!"
The giant serpent emitted a series of short hisses, which sounded like self-mocking laughter: "Should I tell you that I was actually betrayed and defeated by something that was like my own child? Chosen one, even I have a sense of shame."
Hayden, however, did not laugh: "It's not uncommon for God to be overthrown and replaced by his own children."
“Perhaps.” Quetzalcoatl twisted his body, making a snake-like nod. “In any case, you now know: Smoke Mirror is the environmental system I created in South America, it is everything in the current natural environment. The power of Smoke Mirror is the sum of the current life force and ecosystem of South America, and its personality and thought are the unification of the current collective consciousness of South America.”