Chapter 517: Farewell and Departure

At the beginning of the First Epoch, when Lynn's consciousness descended into the fourth Smurf account, he found himself in a place that didn't seem quite right.

Or rather, the surrounding aura of Sefirot was overwhelmingly thick, making it easy for him to determine his location.

"This is... inside the Knowledge Moor?"

Lynn rubbed his chin thoughtfully, as if a mouse searching for cheese had suddenly been thrown into a cheese warehouse, marveling at how strange fate could be.

"No, it isn't mere coincidence—it's inevitable. After all, I am both a Paragon and a King of Angels on the Hermit Pathway. The Knowledge Moor and I naturally attract one another like two massive magnets. Appearing here makes perfect sense," Lynn thought to himself as he absorbed the powerful aura of the Knowledge Moor. After a brief moment, he decided to assimilate it.

For most Beyonders, absorbing Sefirot would require hesitation, but Lynn had no such concerns.

Thus, at the end of the Fifth Epoch, all high-ranking Beyonders, including angels, instinctively turned in a specific direction.

"Is this... the birth of Demon of Knowledge? Did Lynn successfully ascend?" Klein, who held the Sefirah Castle and bore the title of Miracle Invoker, felt the shift as well. He stood abruptly, pacing nervously before sensing a familiar presence approaching.

As expected, a spatial door opened the next second, and a familiar figure stepped through.

It was unmistakably Lynn, though there was a subtle strangeness to his aura, making Klein tense before immediately relaxing.

"Relax. I'm still me... at least for now," Lynn said with a gentle smile, though a flicker of confusion lingered in his eyes.

Just moments ago, after fully absorbing the Knowledge Moor within the First Epoch, Lynn recalled all of his Smurf accounts and ascended to the Demon of Knowledge.

The process went surprisingly smoothly, almost too smoothly to believe.

However, as he completed his ascension, memories long sealed away resurfaced all at once. With newfound clarity, Lynn finally understood the purpose of this journey—and what he ultimately needed to do.

"Here, take this." A prismatic bubble materialized in Lynn's hand, which he then offered to Klein. "Klein, could I ask a few favors of you?"

"What do you need?" Klein cautiously accepted the crystal bubble, his gaze steady.

"First, after I leave, try to maintain the traces I left in this world. If possible, I wouldn't mind if you spread word of me, like you did with that poet friend of yours. It'd help extend my influence," Lynn said with a grin, raising a finger to emphasize his point.

"I promise," Klein nodded solemnly.

"Second, keep this crystal bubble safe. It's crucial—whether I remain myself depends entirely on it." Lynn's gaze rested on the bubble as he chuckled, "After all, it's part of me."

Klein stiffened, feeling as though the seemingly light bubble weighed a thousand tons in his hand.

"Hahaha..." Lynn couldn't help but laugh at Klein's reaction. He then added, "And third—become the Lord of Mysteries. Once you achieve that, the timelines I've altered and the original one will fully merge. That's when my ritual will reach completion, and I will return."

Klein's brows furrowed slightly as he tried to comprehend, but in the end, he chose not to ask further questions and simply nodded.

"Alright, I understand."

"There's no need to rush, though. Rather than rushing into becoming the Lord of Mysteries and falling into slumber, I hope you take your time, solidify your state, and ascend steadily," Lynn said with a playful wink. "Otherwise, what's the point of altering the timeline?"

Klein was momentarily stunned, then nodded again, feeling touched by the words.

"I will."

"Goodbye, little Fool." Lynn smiled brightly. "I hope we meet again."

The next moment, Lynn dissolved into countless shimmering bubbles.

The bubbles vanished without a trace in an instant.

"Lynn..." Klein gazed up at the sky in silent longing, before tightening his grip on the crystal bubble.

---

Meanwhile, in another space-time dimension—

Countless bubbles appeared out of nowhere and gradually reformed into a humanoid shape.

Lynn opened his eyes, taking in the familiar space around him with little emotion. Following his plan, he activated the ritual he had prepared before losing his memories, severing himself completely from Yog-Sothoth.

"Are you truly ready?" came a message from the link between him and Yog-Sothoth.

"Of course. I've prepared for this day for far too long," Lynn replied with a smile.

"Then... Do as you wish."

The separation began, using the Demon of Knowledge as a foundation and channeling the accumulated energy Lynn had gathered over the years. A new Outer God was about to emerge into the cosmos.

However, just as the split from Yog-Sothoth completed, a soft laugh echoed beside Lynn's ear.

"Happy coming-of-age, my child. Now, let your dear mother grant you your final initiation."

A nameless entity appeared from the darkness and quickly took on a humanoid form—Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos, a being on par with Yog-Sothoth.

"You—" Lynn began to speak, but the chaos behind Nyarlathotep surged forward, swallowing him whole. It wasn't just Nyarlathotep's immense power at play but the darkness already festering within Lynn.

"See? I've given you so much—how could I not expect this day to come?" Nyarlathotep chuckled softly, gently cupping Lynn's face with an affectionate touch.

"What... are you trying to do?" Lynn's fragmented voice emerged from the dark abyss.

"What am I trying to do? Hahaha, I simply want to see if I can use you as a vessel to devour my beloved Big Bubble!" Nyarlathotep laughed, his voice full of indulgent malice. "You must know by now, Lynn—you're special."

"You are the humanity that Yog-Sothoth wasn't meant to have. Opposite his divinity, only an independent version of you can serve as the perfect medium for me to consume him..." Nyarlathotep sighed, as though lamenting a fond memory. "Do you know how much effort I put into your creation? In some ways, I am your mother, even if you refuse to admit it."

"Don't worry, though—I won't devour you. You're too adorable. I'll keep you as a little bubble of your own," Nyarlathotep whispered, even as chaos and darkness completely engulfed Lynn.

In that moment, however, Lynn made his decision.

Rather than let himself be consumed, Lynn chose to return to Yog-Sothoth, embracing his divine self.

And so, he became Yog-Sothoth.

Nyarlathotep could easily swallow Lynn, but devouring Yog-Sothoth was another matter entirely.

"Is it worth it? I wasn't lying—I would've kept you intact. It wouldn't have been any different for you." Nyarlathotep sighed, surrounded now by shimmering bubbles. "But now, you've lost yourself entirely."

Yog-Sothoth glanced at him, his gaze cold. "I wonder... what would happen if I devoured you instead."

"Hahaha! Then try it, my dear Yog." Nyarlathotep burst into laughter, unperturbed.

(End of Chapter)