Chapter 457: The Benevolence of Wisdom

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In the captain’s quarters, the atmosphere was tense and heavy with silence. The discomfort was palpable, as if everyone was afraid to break the fragile peace.

Finally, Duncan broke the silence. He turned away from Dog, the literate shadow demon lounging on the floor, and looked earnestly at Mr. Morris, seated nearby. “Mr. Morris, from a rational standpoint, do you find it credible that we’re in this situation?” he asked, seeking refuge in logic.

Morris looked bewildered, as though he had been dragged out of bed to review a complex document in the middle of the night. He seemed more mentally strained than during his rigorous spiritual examinations years ago. After a long pause, he finally responded, “In all of recorded history, there’s no precedent for this. It’s beyond my comprehension.”

Duncan massaged the bridge of his nose, his face a mix of emotions. “Are there any theological tenets in your faith that suggest the God of Wisdom might bless a creature like a shadow demon? Has there ever been a case of a demon who can read and write, like Dog?”

Morris’s face paled. “A shadow demon is the antithesis of everything civilized society stands for. No divine being, not even the God of Wisdom, would condone such an anomaly.”

At that moment, Vanna, who had been silently observing, spoke up. “The doctrines of the God of Wisdom state that Lahem extends his love and wisdom impartially to all sentient beings, providing them with the intellectual tools to comprehend the world while protecting them from harsh truths through a layer of ignorance. Nowhere does it explicitly say that shadow demons are excluded from ‘wise creatures.'”

Morris retorted reflexively, “Since when are shadow demons considered sentient?” But then he hesitated, glancing at Dog, who lay contentedly on the floor.

Duncan allowed himself a half-smile. “Judging by how quickly Dog is learning, we might enroll him in middle school exams by next year. Who knows? He might even share a desk with Nina.”

Feeling overwhelmed, Morris moved to a nearby chair and sat down, taking a moment to regather his thoughts. He looked at Dog, his expression a mix of disbelief and curiosity. “Dog, when you had those visions, did you also hear a divine voice or gain sudden insights into any form of knowledge?”

Dog shook his head vigorously. “No, I only saw those rays of light twice, and they startled me both times. I didn’t hear or feel anything else.”

Morris seemed to regain his composure and shifted to a more analytical mode. “So you only saw a visual representation of Him, but no revelations came through? Did you notice any improvement in your thinking or memory skills? Any changes in your perception of the world after you were pulled back from those rays?”

Dog shook his head again. “No, nothing like that happened. I didn’t stare at the rays for long. I just caught a brief glimpse before being brought back to reality.”

“Just a quick look, and then you were snapped back to reality?” Morris seemed puzzled, furrowing his brow as he tried to reconcile Dog’s experience with his theological understanding. “That’s unusual. Encountering the God of Wisdom typically involves deep reflection and extended meditation. Even if a mortal mind can’t fully grasp the divine dialogue, it’s not a mere ‘glance.’ How did you return to this world so quickly?”

Dog thought for a moment before nuzzling against Shirley’s arm affectionately. “It felt like Shirley was the one who pulled me back. As I became captivated by those brilliant rays of light, I sensed a powerful force tugging me back through our symbiotic chain. Then, suddenly, I was back in reality. Although Shirley doesn’t seem to recall anything about it.”

All eyes turned to Shirley, who suddenly became the center of attention.

Feeling the weight of their gazes, Shirley instinctively pulled her neck inward, like a turtle retreating into its shell. But her expression soon changed to one of pride, as if she were a child who had just performed an impressive trick.

Duncan’s face went through a series of quick but significant transformations, each more puzzling than the last.

Vanna voiced her bewilderment: “I’ve never heard of a symbiotic bond between a shadow demon and a human counteracting a divine gaze. Could it be that the connection between Shirley and Dog is extraordinarily strong, even compared to other Annihilators?”

Before anyone could further ponder Vanna’s question, Duncan cleared his throat and gestured towards Shirley, who was still beaming with innocent pride. “It may not have been the strength of the symbiotic pact that pulled Dog back. It could also be the potent force of… illiteracy.”

Vanna and Shirley both looked utterly confounded.

Morris was equally stunned, staring at Duncan in disbelief. He knew the captain had an unorthodox way of thinking, but this angle was entirely unexpected. After a moment, however, the notion began to take root in his mind. The more he considered it, the more oddly plausible it seemed.

“Let’s entertain the idea that a metaphysical ‘duel’ took place within Dog,” Duncan elaborated, massaging his temples as if to ease the mental gymnastics he was performing. “On one side, we have the illuminating gaze of the God of Wisdom. On the other, we have Shirley, blissfully unlettered. The reality that emerged demonstrates that, astonishingly, illiteracy managed to triumph over divine wisdom.”

Morris stuttered as he tried to verbalize his thoughts, “Logically, I… I don’t even… nevermind. The debate this would spark among the scholarly community in the city center would be a spectacle to behold. Let’s just go with that hypothesis for now.”

A strange and indescribable mood settled over the captain’s quarters as if reality itself had momentarily warped. Shirley, now standing at the center of this surreal tableau, appeared to be on the brink of tears. She glanced from Duncan to Morris and then, with a forlorn expression, pointed at Dog. “So, am I holding Dog back? Because it was—clearly—it was…”

For an ephemeral moment, the notion of taking her studies seriously flitted across Shirley’s mind. But before she could dwell on that thought, Duncan’s voice broke in, “Don’t jump to conclusions just yet. This situation might be far more complex than any of us can currently grasp.”

Upon hearing Duncan’s words, Shirley’s expression immediately shifted, her earlier dejection vanishing. “Ah? What do you mean?”

Duncan didn’t answer Shirley right away. Instead, he directed his gaze toward Dog, the enigmatic creature that had set off this whole chain of events. “Dog,” he began, his deep voice lending gravitas to the creature’s simple name, “you mentioned feeling as if you were being ‘swept away’ when you looked at those lights, correct?”

Dog nodded enthusiastically, his movements leaving no room for doubt.

Switching focus, Duncan turned to Morris. “Is this feeling of losing oneself typical for those who have experienced an encounter with the God of Wisdom?”

Morris shook his head decisively, his tone serious. “No, absolutely not. A typical blessing from the God of Wisdom involves an intellectual and spiritual awakening—a mental dialogue that leaves the recipient feeling enlightened and in control, not disoriented or swept away.”

“What would the consequences be, then, if a shadow demon were actually to receive wisdom or some form of divine grace from the God of Wisdom?” Duncan pressed, steering the conversation into uncharted territory.

Morris looked thoughtful, his mind racing to catch up with Duncan’s reasoning. “Such an event has never been recorded. It’s common knowledge that there’s an intrinsic tension, even a ‘repulsion,’ between the creations of the four righteous gods and the chaotic ‘Old Gods.’ Shadow demons are offshoots of the Nether Lord and inherently possess traits of chaos and corruption. Even Dog is not an exception. Should the Wisdom God’s radiance—”

Morris paused, his eyes growing solemn as they landed on Shirley. “Should that divine light actually touch Dog, even if it had no intent to harm, its inherent nature might wreak havoc on Dog’s very being. The outcome would be… catastrophic, to say the least.”

Silence engulfed the room as everyone absorbed Morris’s words. The quiet was shattered by a raucous squawk from Ai, the dove. Perched on the sea chart table, Ai flapped her wings hysterically, jumping up and landing with a surprising thud. After a moment of seeming disorientation, she turned her head toward the goat head on the table and tilted her head, almost as if asking, “Charge Q Coins?”

This odd interruption took everyone aback, but Duncan’s expression subtly changed. A phrase popped into his mind, unbidden but oddly appropriate:

Two incompatible operating systems, data exchange will trigger a fatal error.

Slowly, understanding dawned in Duncan’s eyes as he turned back to Dog. “Could it be that the Nether Lord and Lahem’s systems are incompatible? Could their conflicting ‘data’ create a catastrophic error?”

Dog looked perplexed. “Captain, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Duncan waved his hand dismissively. “Never mind. It’s a complicated theory and hard to explain right now.” He then turned to Shirley, who still looked mystified. “Shirley, you pulling Dog back might have been a good thing. It could have stopped Dog from experiencing something potentially destructive, from being overwhelmed—or even consumed—by the God of Wisdom’s influence.”

Duncan’s words hovered in the air, inviting everyone to consider that their understanding of divinity, wisdom, and compatibility might be more complex than they’d ever imagined.

Understanding dawned in Shirley’s eyes like a lightbulb suddenly flicking on. “Oh! So, are you saying it might actually be a good thing that I pulled Dog back from the Wisdom God’s influence?”

Duncan found himself at a loss for a more nuanced answer and simply nodded. That affirmation was all Shirley needed to burst into a triumphant cheer. “So does that mean I have a legitimate reason to not do my homework now? I mean, I have to be on standby to pull Dog back, right?”

Duncan stared at her, incredulous. Of all the potential ramifications and profound implications they had just discussed, was that seriously the first thing she thought of?

Before he could formulate a response, Morris beat him to it. “It’s not that simple, Shirley.”

She blinked, taken aback. “What do you mean?”

Wearing a solemn expression, Morris elaborated, “Receiving a blessing from the God of Wisdom, or any god for that matter, isn’t exclusively a matter of scholarly achievement. By the same token, your academic performance—or lack thereof—doesn’t necessarily bar you from divine favor. And, based on my recent observations, even if you were to diligently do your homework every day, it likely wouldn’t change your or Dog’s relationship with Lahem.”

Shirley looked like she had just been handed a puzzle with missing pieces. Her face was a blend of confusion and uncertainty as she tried to make sense of Morris’s statement. “So… what are you saying? That doing my homework or not won’t make a difference in whether I can save Dog?”

Morris sighed, sensing that he had not been entirely clear. “What I’m saying is that your ability to ‘save’ Dog from divine influences is likely not tied to your performance in school. While wisdom and knowledge are valuable, they are not the sole determinants of one’s worthiness in the eyes of divine beings. Therefore, not doing your homework shouldn’t be viewed as a ‘legitimate reason’ to avoid a blessing or, conversely, to evade a curse.”

As Morris’s words settled in, the room seemed to grow quiet, leaving Shirley to mull over this new information. The notion that wisdom was more complex than just academic knowledge was slowly sinking in, making her previous enthusiasm about dodging homework feel rather trivial in comparison.

Understanding this new perspective, Shirley’s earlier thoughts about avoiding homework now seemed less important. The complexity of their situation and the intricate interplay between divine influences and personal actions were beginning to dawn on her.

The room was silent once more, each person lost in their thoughts, contemplating the broader implications of what had just been discussed.

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