Sersi and the Water Sprite exchanged glances, their expressions becoming grave.
It was no small matter.
The question they needed to verify was so significant that it could shatter their worldviews.
Neither of them wanted to believe it was true, yet they were equally worried that it was.
Ajak's mind immediately raced.
Judging by Sersi and the Water Sprite's expressions, something extraordinary had happened.
But the Deviants had been extinct for hundreds of years. What could it be?
Ajak couldn't quite guess what was going on.
"Ajak, before we go any further, there are a few things we need to clear up."
Sersi composed herself slightly and then addressed Ajak seriously. "I know this might sound strange, but what exactly is our purpose on Earth?"
???
Ajak's forehead reflexively sprouted a series of question marks.
What's going on? What kind of nonsensical question is this?
Isn't the Eternals' mission to eliminate the Deviants? This is a sacred mission, etched into the DNA of every Eternal, beyond question.
Why would Sersi ask such a thing? Could it be that…
Thinking this far, Ajak couldn't help but mutter inwardly, could Sersi know the true purpose of the Eternals? But how could that be possible!
Besides her, no other Eternals knew about it.
Wait a minute! Ikaris!
Ajak's expression tightened slightly.
Besides her, Ikaris also knew the truth! Did Ikaris tell Sersi?
Probably not.
Ikaris had left Sersi because he couldn't bear deceiving her.
So, after the two had been separated for over a hundred years, he suddenly told Sersi?
That didn't quite add up.
If it wasn't Ikaris, then why would Sersi be questioning this seemingly unquestionable mission?
A string of doubts flashed through Ajak's mind.
However, because the matter was so important, Ajak decided to play dumb for a moment: "Sersi, I don't quite understand."
"What I mean is, we've been dedicated to eliminating the Deviants for thousands of years, but why are we doing this?"
"We're saving lives, we're saving this planet."
"Then why don't we interfere with anything else besides the Deviants?"
"We do hope that Earth gets better and better, but we aren't Earth's babysitters; we can't do everything."
Sersi and Ajak began to spar with words, right in front of the Water Sprite.
One probed indirectly, constantly trying to dig up information, while the other remained composed, playing it safe.
The Water Sprite, watching from the side, shook her head repeatedly; she couldn't take it anymore.
Even though the Water Sprite wasn't very old, her personality was much more impetuous than Sersi's.
"Let me do it, Sersi."
The Water Sprite suddenly spoke, interrupting Sersi and getting straight to the point. "Ajak, is our purpose in eliminating the Deviants to ensure Tiamut's Emergence?"
Whoosh!
Then, both the Water Sprite and Sersi immediately saw Ajak's expression change.
This made them both feel a jolt of concern.
Is it true?
This terrifying news, could it really be true?
"So, all of this is real?"
Sersi's voice couldn't help but rise an octave, her face etched with disbelief, unable to accept it.
"So, we aren't from Olympia? We were really created by Arishem?"
"Our mission from the very beginning was to ensure the Emergence of Tiamut, to ensure the birth of that Celestial hidden inside the Earth?"
"Ajak, why didn't you tell us the truth!"
By the end, Sersi was clearly angry, her tone becoming sharp and severe.
Ajak opened her mouth, unable to respond.
Sersi and the Water Sprite already knew the whole truth. What was the point of her hiding it any longer?
After a slight pause, Ajak sighed and shook her head. "So, Ikaris finally told you everything?"
In Ajak's opinion, the only person who could have leaked such a deeply hidden secret was Ikaris.
But Ajak hadn't expected this.
The moment she mentioned Ikaris, both Sersi and the Water Sprite were visibly agitated.
"Ikaris?"
This time, the Water Sprite's voice rose an octave, her face etched with surprise. "Wait, Ikaris knew too?"
"Sersi, can you believe it? Ikaris knew all along and didn't tell us anything?"
"Well, at the very least, he should have told you!"
The Water Sprite couldn't accept it, and immediately shouted at Sersi.
Ajak on the side was a little bewildered.
Judging from the reactions of the Water Sprite and the others, it wasn't Ikaris who leaked the information?
Then who could it be?
"Ajak, besides Ikaris, who else knows about this?"
Sersi's expression was extremely complex. After calming down a little, she turned her head again and stared intently at Ajak.
"Only Ikaris."
Ajak said without thinking, "This truth is too heavy, I only told Ikaris."
However, soon, Ajak wasn't so sure.
It was already obvious, Ikaris had told the other Eternals.
Then the third person in the know told Sersi and the Water Sprite.
However, among the Eternals, the one closest to Sersi was Ikaris!
Who else would tell Sersi?
Ajak immediately asked Sersi this question, but received an answer that greatly surprised her, one she hadn't expected at all.
"Actually, this is the real reason we came to find you."
After some thought, Sersi told Ajak the details about the Diary.
After listening, Ajak couldn't help but furrow her brow.
A "mysterious item" that couldn't be revealed to others but could predict the future?
This sounded a bit absurd.
But then again, Ikaris wasn't the type to just blurt out secrets like that!
It wasn't like Ikaris at all, and there was no reason for him to do so.
So, what Sersi said about that mysterious thing was true?
Furthermore, as an Eternal, specifically one who had followed Arishem for millions of years and executed missions on countless planets, what hadn't Ajak seen and experienced?
After only a brief moment of hesitation, Ajak chose to believe Sersi.
Even though Sersi's memories had been wiped many times, they had been comrades for millions of years, and Ajak knew Sersi well.
"So, Sersi, what else did that 'mysterious object' reveal to you?"
After a moment of thought, Ajak seriously continued to question Sersi.
"Because of the 'Emergence', we Eternals split, and a civil war broke out."
Although Sersi hesitated for a moment, she finally revealed this.
"Civil war? What happened?"
The Water Sprite called out first.
This was the first time she had heard Sersi mention something like this.
Ajak's expression also became extremely serious.
This situation, with the splitting and the internal war, was it really this severe?
However, such a major change within the Eternals, could it be related to Tiamut? After all, the Deviants had already been exterminated.
Besides Tiamut, Ajak couldn't think of any other possibilities.
"Ajak, are you really willing to watch this world be destroyed?"
"To watch this planet turn to dust because of Tiamut's Emergence?"
Sersi ignored the Water Sprite and stared intently at Ajak, delivering a soul-searching question, "Are you really willing to do this?"
"This question has plagued me for centuries."
Ajak slowly stood up, gazing at the vast grasslands ahead, and sighed, "I love this place, just like you all do."
"Then find a way to stop the Emergence!"
"We must stop the Emergence. We can't sacrifice billions of people on this planet just for the birth of Tiamut!"
"It's not fair to them!" Sersi exclaimed, a little agitated, towards Ajak.
"What about our mission then?"
The Water Sprite's focus was a little different; she immediately pointed out the crux of the problem. "Didn't Arishem create us precisely to ensure Tiamut's Emergence?"
"There must be a way!"
Sersi emphasized heavily, her attitude as resolute as ever. "There must be a way to avoid sacrificing this planet and still allow Tiamut's Emergence!"
"Really?"
The Water Sprite murmured.
Could a solution that pleased everyone really be found so easily when dealing with something of this scale?
"Ajak?"
Following that, the Water Sprite shifted her gaze to Ajak, the leader.
For the Water Sprite, the truth about Tiamut, though shocking, wasn't what concerned her most.
Even if the Water Sprite chose to follow Ikaris in the future and stop Sersi and the others,
her motivation wouldn't be loyalty to Arishem, but her own desire to grow up.
So, when it came to Tiamut, the Water Sprite's attitude wasn't so clear-cut.
"For millions of years, I've witnessed the destruction of countless planets, and I've never doubted my mission."
Ajak's voice drifted over, and when she turned around, her gaze was resolute. "But I think, I'm not so sure anymore."
Sersi was immediately delighted.
"Are you going to disobey Arishem's orders?"
The Water Sprite immediately pointed out such a sharp question.
"No, my loyalty to Arishem hasn't changed."
Ajak shook her head. "However, perhaps there's another way. It's worth a try."
"We need to find the others!"
Sersi stood as well, speaking earnestly to Ajak. "We must gather everyone together again."
"I will."
Ajak nodded, but after a moment of thought, she changed the subject. "But before that, Sersi, did the 'mysterious object' reveal anything else?"
Sersi began to recall everything, telling Ajak everything that the Diary had revealed about the Celestial and the Eternals.
During this time, Sersi took out the Diary again and performed an experiment in front of Ajak.
The result remained the same.
Ajak couldn't detect the diary's existence, and Sersi couldn't reveal it to Ajak in any way.
Sersi gave up completely, abandoning the idea of "exposing" the diary.
Since both the Water Sprite and Ajak were like this, everyone else would certainly be the same.
Sersi put the diary out of her mind and began discussing the Celestial Tiamut with Ajak.
She also asked Ajak about the other hidden secrets.
The two of them began an "in-depth" exchange.
The atmosphere was, it could be said, quite pleasant.
After all, Sersi and Ajak shared almost the same goal: protecting Earth.
The Water Sprite, though not as emotionally invested in Earth, didn't voice any objections either.
Everyone then began a detailed and in-depth discussion on how to protect Earth.
Unfortunately, though.
No clear outcome emerged.
This was indeed a very thorny issue.
Of course.
The "mysterious object" had indeed hinted at a method to resolve the Tiamut problem.
Like Pym Particles, or the Infinity Gauntlet, for example.
But neither of these methods is sufficient for Sersi and Ajak.
Pym Particles don't seem reliable.
And according to the Diary, the Infinity Stones are scattered throughout the entire universe. Do they really have to start collecting the Infinity Stones now?
"Sersi, did that 'mysterious object' reveal anything else? Anything that could give us some ideas?"
Just as the situation was becoming difficult, Ajak suddenly had an inspiration and thought of a key question.
"Yes, that's right!"
Sersi's eyes also lit up. "Since that guy knows so much, he might know other methods too. I must find him!"
"'He'?"
Ajak raised an eyebrow. "You mean, the 'mysterious person' who gave you the 'mysterious item'?"
"I'm not sure if he's the one who gave it to me, but his name is written on it: 'Zhou Cheng'."
Sersi explained to Ajak.
Zhou Cheng?
Ajak fell into thought.
The name was just an ordinary Asian name, nothing special about it.
"Do we have any other information besides the name?"
"The Water Sprite added from the side.
Sersi just shook her head.
Ajak and the Water Sprite both felt a wave of headache wash over them.
Just a name, and nothing else related to it. How were they supposed to find anything? It was like searching for a needle in a haystack."
-----------------------
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