Chapter 594 - 591: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Mo Ling watched the strange Healer before him warily, his teleportation target already locked on. If the Healer made any move, Mo Ling would instantly teleport away.

However, the strange Healer seemed to have no hostile intent. It just stood there, examining its own body.

"Healing power… it's a truly formidable ability…"

"It's the most enigmatic ability we've ever encountered. There are aspects of it that even the Healers themselves don't understand. It's as if they don't know its true nature, nor its origin and evolution. They just use it instinctively, treating this power as a simple tool for 'curing illness.'"

The Healer murmured to itself, feeling the restorative power coursing through its body.

"Who are you? And what's your connection to the Ever-Thirsters?" Mo Ling demanded, unable to suppress his curiosity.

"Me?"

The light on the Healer's head flickered. It extended a tentacle and, with a single sweep, neatly arranged all the books on a nearby table.

"I am the librarian here."

"If you want to be more specific, then I can only tell you that I, too, am an Ever-Thirster…"

Hearing this, Mo Ling grew even more tense. 'If this strange Healer is an Ever-Thirster, then who was that straw-like creature from before?'

Seeing that Mo Ling didn't seem to fully understand, this "librarian" began to explain of its own accord:

"There weren't always so many books here…"

"In the beginning, there were only a few books, and he would often come and organize them himself. But later, as the rate at which he acquired knowledge grew faster and faster, he no longer had time to tidy up. And so, the books were just tossed everywhere."

"When the books become disordered, so too does the knowledge…"

"Knowledge from different races and of various types was completely mixed together—with no system, no categorization. His mind became flooded with erroneous and repetitive information, and his thoughts grew more and more chaotic."

The Healer gestured toward the bookshelves above as it spoke.

"The Ever-Thirsters are a race with a collective consciousness. Knowledge and thoughts can be shared among them, so chaotic thoughts affect the entire group."

"Under the influence of this chaotic thinking, he—or rather, 'they'—would sometimes get lost in that vast sea of knowledge and come to believe they were other beings."

"So, he needed a librarian—an independent individual, not connected to the collective consciousness, who could use a clear mind to help him organize this immense trove of knowledge."

"And that is how I came to be. I am a member of the Ever-Thirsters, and yet I do not belong to them. I am not responsible for acquiring knowledge; I am only responsible for structuring it and managing this library."

"However, as I organize the books, I am also influenced by them. The knowledge within often causes me to transform into other beings… just as you see me now."

The Healer spread its arms, displaying its body fully to Mo Ling.

Only then did Mo Ling realize that the Healer's body bore the traits not just of a Healer and an Ever-Thirster, but of other creatures as well, though these features were subtle.

"Then why did he have you heal him?"

"Because of guilt," the Healer replied coolly.

"Guilt?" Mo Ling was confused.

"Yes. Surely, you can understand. To acquire the knowledge of a race, one must inevitably absorb its history, culture, thoughts, and beliefs… All of these things cause an Ever-Thirster to be 'assimilated.' And once assimilated, empathy develops."

"He naturally comes to lament the demise of that race and feel guilty for his actions. It's unavoidable. That's why he never wipes them out completely. When faced with avengers from those races, he avoids them if he can."

"In his process of conquest and destruction, though he was constantly acquiring knowledge, his guilt also continued to compound. He has collected enough knowledge to know full well how despicable it is to destroy a race. He also understands why the Ever-Thirsters have become so infamous."

"But an Ever-Thirster's thirst for knowledge is insatiable. This desire can overwhelm all pity, all empathy. When the thirst descends, he will destroy a race without hesitation. But afterward, he will hide in the library and repent, confessing the great harm his actions have brought upon those races."

"He even tried locking himself away, using powerful seals to confine himself. But when the thirst erupted, no barrier could stop him from acquiring knowledge."

"That's why he was so excited when he discovered the Healer race. He wanted to obtain healing power, to possess all knowledge related to it. It was the first time he had ever sought knowledge for its 'application.'"

"But, as you can see, the healing was a success… and the very foundation of the Ever-Thirster's existence is gone. When the desire vanishes, the Ever-Thirster no longer thirsts, and thus has no reason to exist."

"However, he had already anticipated this. He could finally act as an 'avenger,' helping the races he once destroyed by striking down their enemy with his own hand…"

At this, the Healer glanced at the empty seat.

"In the process of acquiring knowledge, he also collected many stories from other races. In those tales, there are often plots where the villain has a change of heart and ends their own life. He was very fond of such stories. Sometimes he would come to the library, sit at the desk, and read these old tales over and over again."

"He had probably planned his own ending long ago…"

"Sometimes, after reading these stories, he would ask me questions."

"When the villain dies, is that the end of it? What about the races that were destroyed? Can they only choose to forgive? Or do they choose to hate forever? Hating a villain who no longer even exists…"

"How can the villain ever atone for what he has done? And what kind of atonement could possibly satisfy everyone? If he could somehow manage to satisfy everyone, would what he did then be forgiven?"

"He had no answers to these questions. Neither did I…"

"But now, he has left the questions to me."

The Healer said with a sense of helplessness, looking at the empty seat.

It raised a hand, looking at its own fingers.

"My time is almost up as well."

The moment the words left its lips, its fingertips suddenly crumbled, turning into countless motes of dust.

"You're going to die, too?" Mo Ling asked, confused.

"Of course. I am an Ever-Thirster, so of course I will die."

The Healer seemed unconcerned about its own death. It walked over to Mo Ling, its body shedding dust with every step.

"You have the scent of a human on you."

"Good. Then let this all be left to them… After all, humans are like us… they like to read."