1259 - 1266

Chapter 1259 Slumbering Grounds

In a battlefield near the capital, Lenburg.

The balls of compressed scarlet fireballs flew past the corpses, weapons, blood, and smoke, under the guidance of a flaming spear. They landed in the areas that were built with simple construction work, creating a series of explosions.

As he watched the smoke rise and the flames spread, Anderson flung the dust in his hands and turned to the deputy beside him with a smile.

"I wonder how much longer this will last… Any last words? I can help you write a will."

As he had wished, he saw the angry looks of the "militia" around him. Their thoughts were uniform.

However, the "militia" didn't attack. The glint in their eyes slowly settled as they cast their gaze in another direction.

"You actually didn't respond to my provocation." Anderson pricked up his brows. "This means that you're planning something."

Without waiting for the deputy and the "militia" to respond, the Hunter smiled and continued, "Y'all are planning on surrendering, right? Are you trying to protect your family and friends?"

Seeing gazes sweep over, Anderson tsked and shook his head.

"You haven't become Beyonders for long. It's only through the war that you obtained the main potion ingredients from the enemy. Only then did you become Hunters, Provokers, and Pyromaniacs. However, when it comes to plotting conspiracies, y'all are still too inexperienced.

"I'm very curious. Why don't you try to convince me to surrender together? I don't think I project the image of being very firm usually. Besides, I'm not a believer of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom."

Having said that, Anderson looked thoughtfully at his deputy.

"Is it because the enemy's brass is totally furious at me? They gave the order not to accept my surrender?"

The deputy remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "Since you already know, why are you asking?"

With a swoosh, the nearby militia raised their right hands and aimed their palms at Anderson, appearing to have come to a collective understanding.

"If I don't ask, how can I be sure what everyone's thinking?" Anderson said with a smile without panicking.

He rubbed his stomach with his left hand and placed his right hand into his pocket. It was unknown what he was looking for.

At that moment, the sun in the sky suddenly expanded and became extremely huge. The blazing golden sun made Anderson and company unable to open their eyes. They found it difficult to think any further.

Immediately following that, an illusory tower appeared. Every level was made up of thick books. Each book had a brass eye on it. The higher one looked, the darker it became. It was filled with the aura of insanity, destruction, inauspiciousness, and disaster.

The tower extended into the sky, as though it had encompassed the entire world within itself, including the gigantic sun.

…

Backlund, within the Odora family's luxurious villa.

All the Sanguine in the city had gathered here to prepare for the impending outcome of the war.

Emlyn White, who had become an Earl, had his hands in his pockets. He stood by the window, bathed in the mixed light of dusk and night as he watched members of his fellow race discuss the current affairs uneasily.

Suddenly, his spiritual perception was triggered as he cast his gaze out the window.

In the garden, a bunch of withered grass was dyed green once again. They rapidly grew and soon, they reached the height of a person.

In other places in the city, some of the streetside trees that had not been affected by the previous bombardment were wildly absorbing nutrients from unknown sources. One by one, they rose up and soon grew to tens of meters tall. The branches were thick and the leaves were like umbrellas.

These towering trees were connected to one another, covering half of the sky in Backlund.

Many buildings were crushed, or they were entangled by the branches and vines. It was as if they had been abandoned for more than a century.

In just seven or eight seconds, many places in Backlund had become a primeval forest.

…

After passing through the open door and entering the dark interior of the Giant King's residence, Klein immediately observed the Silver Knight marionette in front of him, the Staff of the Stars in his right hand and Creeping Hunger on his left hand.

They didn't show any abnormalities for the time being. The corresponding Spirit Body Threads didn't show any signs of degeneration.

After confirming the situation in this area, Klein cast his gaze around and observed his surroundings.

The place was enveloped by thick corporeal darkness. They couldn't see further than five meters away. The ground was paved with grayish-white bricks that looked like they were pieces of a frozen sunset. They didn't reveal anything extraordinary.

After some thought, the corners of Klein's mouth curled up. He reached into the void, grabbed, and attempted to summon an angel.

In the next second, he laughed out loud because he had lost a clear connection with the fog of history.

This was the reason why the Historical Void projection he had summoned to enter had lost contact after entering this region.

Laughing, Klein suddenly turned around and walked back to the area from which he had entered.

"Mr. Wor—Sparrow, what do you want to do?" Derrick, who was also scrutinizing the various restrictions on him, asked in surprise.

Klein replied with a beaming smile, "Now is not the right time to explore this place. I plan to come in again later."

"Are you planning on summoning a Sequence 4 historical projection and try to see if it will degenerate and betray you after you bring it in?" Colin Iliad said after some thought.

Klein spread his left palm and said, "No one set the rule that we can't go out once we enter, or not being able to enter after leaving."

Although in such a situation, Mr. World's words sounded a little strange, Derrick still felt that it made sense. This was because the City of Silver had done the same thing when exploring the surrounding areas. Through repeated acts of "entering" and "exiting," they gradually accumulated intelligence and details to finally resolve whatever problems they faced.

Lovia didn't say a word or object. From her point of view, it was undoubtedly a good thing that she could make more preparations.

In an exploration that determined the fate of the City of Silver, they definitely couldn't be rash.

After taking a few steps back, Klein suddenly stopped and laughed out loud.

"It looks like the owner doesn't want us to leave."

The faint light at the door had already been devoured by the deep darkness and disappeared.

Colin Iliad surveyed his surroundings and said, "We can only proceed forward."

Seeing the Chief and Mr. World turn around at the same time, Derrick took a deep breath and raised his left hand, letting it emit a golden glow that illuminated the surrounding darkness.

This revealed thick columns with indiscernible tops. Some of them had their silhouettes outlined, while others were hidden deep in the depths, barely visible.

Derrick retracted his gaze, preparing to head forward with Mr. World and Chief.

At that moment, he failed to see another familiar figure from the corner of his eye.

Derrick's pupils dilated suddenly. Then, he quickly turned his head to look for Elder Lovia, who had been standing beside him moments ago.

This demigod who believed in the True Creator had disappeared! She had disappeared without a trace!

Derrick's abnormality was noticed by both Klein and Colin Iliad. At the same time, they cast their gazes at the spot and saw that the black-robed Lovia had disappeared without a trace, as though she had evaporated into thin air.

With the spiritual intuition of a Seer and the reconnoiter abilities of a Demon Hunter, they failed to realize when Lovia had gone missing, or how she vanished.

The curl on the corners of Klein's lips grew even wider. Without any hesitation, his mind raced and allowed his Spirit Body to enter the world above the gray fog, combining with the dark red illusion of The Fool.

Right on the heels of that, he cast his gaze towards the crimson star that symbolized The Sun. He hoped to find clues through his "true vision."

However, everything was still obscured by the darkness. Nothing was revealed, just like how Klein predicted before entering the Giant King's palace.

Without any time to think further, Klein immediately returned to the real world.

In the span of three or two seconds, there was only Derrick and the Silver Knight marionette by his side.

The City of Silver Chief, who was wearing silver armor, had disappeared!

"What just happened?" Klein asked with a warm smile.

Derrick looked at him in shock, confusion, and panic.

"Didn't you see it?"

The moment he finished speaking, the shadow under Derrick suddenly came alive. It rapidly extended upwards and enveloped him and the sunlight he emitted.

After the shadow completely covered Derrick, it fused with the surrounding darkness, no longer separable.

Klein had originally raised his black staff to prevent an anomaly from happening, but in the end, he didn't do anything. All he did was watch with a smile.

After a few seconds, he noticed that his body had turned black and dull, as though he was being melted by the environment.

Similarly, Klein didn't try to save himself. The corners of his mouth curled up as he watched with a slightly shaking head.

After his figure completely disappeared, his vision changed.

The darkness was gone. The grayish-white stone bricks, the surrounding walls, and the huge pillars appeared clearly. They were covered in a layer of faint shadows.

Outside the window, there was no sun, no moon, and no stars. However, a faint light shone through the window, making the entire palace appear sinister, dark, and cold.

In the deepest part of the palace stood a very faint shadow, resembling curtains.

Lovia, Colin Iliad, and Derrick stood at a distance not far away from him. They carefully observed their surroundings as though they had come to another world.

"Unfortunately, my marionette can't enter." Klein waved the Staff of the Stars in his hand and smiled at Derrick and company.

His indifferent attitude and the Chief's calm and composed manner made Derrick quickly calm down. He no longer allowed his fear and panic to grip him.

Colin Iliad nodded slightly. Just as he was about to share his speculations, he suddenly felt something and turned to look at the deepest part of the palace.

Klein, Derrick, and Lovia did similar actions.

In the deepest depths of the palace, that faint shadow dissipated, revealing a flight of steps meant for giants and an iron-black throne at the top of it.

Sitting on a throne was a man with black, slightly-curly hair that reached his shoulders. His eyes were covered in shadows, and his actual appearance was extremely blurry, preventing others from seeing him clearly. Layers and layers of black wings fell down from behind him, covering most of his body. The robe was black with silver threads embroidering it. They formed complicated patterns and had gorgeous accessories hanging on it.

At that moment, the man had his left elbow on the armrest, holding up one side of his face with his palm as though he was in a deep sleep.

Chapter 1260 Omniscience

Without needing anyone to make the introductions, the four demigods present clearly understood a reality:

The giant-like man who was sleeping on the iron-black throne was the left hand of God, the deputy of Heaven, Dark Angel Sasrir!

Amongst them, Lovia could clearly sense the oppression coming from this absolute high-level existence. It was like the response when praying to the True Creator. It was an aura that could cause her thoughts to scramble, her soul to degenerate, and her body to tremble.

Suddenly, she heard a burst of laughter. She turned her head to the side in a daze.

Klein bent his back slightly and laughed.

"'He' is still sleeping. Should we directly wake 'Him,' or wait for 'Him' to wake up?

"If we choose to wake 'Him,' how should we greet 'Him'? Hey, Your Highness Dark Angel? Rose Redemption Leader?"

These two questions sounded ridiculous and arrogant, but they had managed to shake off the influence of the environment and made Colin Iliad fall into deep thought.

Just now, they had instinctively considered the first question. It was rather important, and it concerned their subsequent actions.

Colin Iliad thought for a moment before saying, "Let's not wake 'Him' up for the time being. Try approaching 'Him' and search for clues and information."

"That's my thoughts as well." With his left hand, Klein casually snapped his fingers and walked towards the black throne.

At this moment, he felt fortunate that he had already taken care of Shadow and restored his spirit to its complete state. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to completely restrict his Virtual Persona. When he was imagining how to do the greeting, he almost blurted out "Hi, Sassy."

Seeing that Gehrman Sparrow had taken two steps forward, Lovia finally snapped out of her daze.

"I'll give it a try using a Grazed soul."

This was a relatively safer method which wouldn't harm the expedition team.

Klein nodded. With his black staff in hand, he turned to his side with a beaming smile.

A three to four-meter-tall phantom image appeared in front of Lovia. A pair of goat horns lined with mysterious patterns sat atop its head. Its skin was back and matte, exuding a sinister fullness. It was a Devil.

It was different from the Devils that he had seen before. Its body was covered with signs of decay, with yellow-green pus hanging off it, as though it was mixed with the power of "Degeneration."

As Klein casually sized up the phantom image, the Devil spread its huge bat-like wings, causing the light blue flames on it to burn even more vigorously, dissipating the strong smell of sulfur.

It took a step forward, slowly approaching the iron-black throne and the staircase meant for giants. Using its intuition for danger, it surveyed the area for any abnormalities.

While Colin, Klein, and the other demigods were paying attention to it, they also began scrutinizing the details of the shadowy palace. They discovered that behind the iron-black throne that Sasrir was sleeping on, there was a pair of dim, grayish-blue double doors that depicted sunset.

This might be the "door" that leads to the outside world… This thought flashed across the minds of the three City of Silver demigods—Colin Iliad, Derrick, and Lovia.

At this moment, the Devil, who had traveled midway, suddenly paused. It was enveloped by a cluster of silver lightning and quickly faded away after being blasted to pieces amid crackling sounds.

A pillar of light with swirling holy flames smote out of thin air, completely purifying the soul that belonged to the Devil.

Lovia didn't feel any pain from losing her Grazed target. She only frowned slightly and couldn't think of a better way to probe the way.

Klein looked around and said with an exaggerated smile:

"As expected, I'm the man for the job."

As he spoke, he slowly walked forward. As he took out a box of matches from his pocket, he lit them one by one and casually threw them around.

"I've always been a little timid." After throwing half a box of matches, Klein turned around and explained with a smile.

And even Derrick Berg wasn't convinced by this sentence.

Following that, under the illumination of the scarlet flames, Klein continued walking towards the iron-black throne that might've belonged to an ancient god.

When he arrived at the spot where the Devil's soul was destroyed, his left palm suddenly tightened.

Klein lowered his head and saw that Creeping Hunger had returned to its human-skinned form. An exaggerated crack opened in his palm. Inside were two rows of illusory white teeth.

This Sealed Artifact was attempting to gnaw at Klein's flesh in a bid to consume both his body and spirit.

Creeping Hunger had degenerated!

"Tsk." Klein let out an obvious sigh as he glanced at the Staff of the Stars in his right hand. He confirmed that the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact which didn't have any living characteristics had yet to show any abnormalities.

He then raised his right hand and stuffed the other end of the Staff of the Stars into Creeping Hunger.

Creeping Hunger bit at it a few times before it finally calmed down when sensing the suppression effect of a higher-level entity.

After laughing twice, Klein took another few steps forward, covering a few meters.

Cracks suddenly appeared in the shadows that covered the walls, pillars, and tiles, as one brass eye after another grew out.

A figure appeared in front of the countless eyes.

He was first presented as the black-haired, light-brown-eyed, and cold-looking Gehrman Sparrow. Following that, he warped into the black-haired, brown-eyed, scholarly-looking Klein Moretti with ordinary looks. Then, he degenerated into a blurry image, and a grayish-white fog emanated from him.

At this moment, these figures that seemed to expose all of Klein's secrets came to a halt.

Boom!

He exploded, transforming into countless illusory fragments that fell to the ground and disappeared.

Klein raised his brows and tsked with a laugh.

"The omniscient power of the Reader pathway?"

Just as he finished speaking, the brass-colored eyes, which grew out from the surrounding shadows and the ground, trembled. They emitted an ethereal voice that seemed to come from ancient times:

"The aura of Sefirah Castle…"

Sefirah Castle… Colin Iliad seemed to recall something and came to a certain realization.

It's only possible to get a response or approach Sasrir with a sefirah? That's why, despite The Hanged Man clearly having Lovia, a demigod believer from the City of Silver, "He" still forced me into the palace to meet the Dark Angel? It wasn't easy for Klein to control his virtual personality's instinct to speak.

Before he could consider what to say, the brass eyes hidden in the shadows emitted another voice:

"Your fate has intersected Amanises, Leodero, Adam, Amon, Herabergen, Aucuses, Medici, Ouroboros, as well as 'Him'…"

With regards to the true names that the brass eyes had mentioned, Colin Iliad, Derrick, and Lovia were no strangers to the names. They knew that the first was the Evernight Goddess, followed by seven of the eight Kings of Angels. Furthermore, there was no lack of Sequence 0 true deities in the present day. This left them somewhat stunned. They couldn't believe that Gehrman Sparrow would've crossed fates with so many high-level existences who exceeded Sequence 1.

Together with the sleeping Dark Angel before him, Mr. World and the eight Kings of Angels had already crossed paths. How impressive… Derrick marveled from the bottom of his heart.

Klein was in no mood to quip about his "divine interpersonal skills." With an obvious smile, he asked, "'Him'?"

Klein believed that "Him" referred to the True Creator. After all, he still had "His" corruptive influences left in his body.

The brass eyes on the shadowy curtain fell silent for a few seconds before saying with an ethereal voice:

"'He' is another me…"

The True Creator was really another side of the ancient sun god. The side that was born from the god's corpse. It's a side filled with hatred and viciousness, one that controls Degeneration? Klein gradually drew an equal sign between the black and gloomy infant sitting in the cavity of the ancient sun god's chest and the True Creator. He had also gained initial confirmation that he was talking to the psyche left by the Dark Angel Sasrir.

He thought about it and couldn't help but smile.

"Why did you form Rose Redemption to assassinate the ancient sun god?"

The information that the question revealed was something that Colin Iliad and Lovia already had an inkling and some speculations of. However, after hearing Gehrman Sparrow say it with their own ears, they still felt pangs of depression and confusion.

The curtain that covered the walls, stone pillars, and floor tiles trembled, but the sleeping Dark Angel remained motionless.

Those brass eyes stared at him and said, "Sun God is just my original honorific name. You should now address me as 'the Lord who created everything, the omnipotent and omniscient God, or God Almighty.'"

…I can tell that you've been leaning in that direction all this time. Finally, Klein laughed out loud. Then, he felt a lingering fear. This was because he was mocking Heaven's deputy, the left hand of God, a king among Kings of Angels, as well as "His" true form.

To not anger the other party, he quickly repeated the question:

"So, why did you betray yourself and form Rose Redemption with the Evernight Goddess to assassinate yourself?"

The brass eyes fell into silence once again. The curtain-like shadows that blanketed various areas swayed gently without stopping.

After a few seconds, the ethereal voice slowly said,

"The Primordial One had awoken in my body…"

Upon hearing this answer, Klein's pupils dilated. For some reason, he felt his hair stand on end as his back turned cold.

It was very close to his guess, but it was even more terrifying.

At this moment, the shadows around him thickened. It became more and more sinister and gloomy, as if it was giving birth to some terrifying, unknown, redoubtable danger.

Although Colin Iliad, Derrick, and Lovia didn't understand the meaning of Dark Angel Sasrir's words too well, they were still affected by the sinister and harrowing words. It left them shuddering in fear as they trembled.

"The Primordial One had awoken in my body…"

These words echoed in the air for a long time.

Chapter 1261 No One Is an Exception

After a while, Klein asked, "The Primordial One is the one who created this world, transforming 'His' body into everything?"

To be frank, Klein subconsciously wanted to ask if the entity referred to the Primordial Demoness. However, with a thought, he eliminated this answer. Firstly, because the Primordial Demoness didn't have the necessary level to strike fear into the ancient sun god, the City of Silver's Creator. Even the Evernight Goddess couldn't do so. Secondly, after the Dark Angel entered "His" slumber, this evil goddess was born only in the Fourth Epoch which had been influenced by the second Blasphemy Slate. Sasrir likely didn't know of her "Her." And even if "He" knew "Her" using his omniscient capabilities, "He" wouldn't specially mention a Sequence 0 who hadn't been involved in the Third Epoch.

Behind the thick and sinister shadows, the brass eyes flashed in unison.

"The universe."

What do you mean? Upon hearing that ethereal voice, Klein was a little perplexed. He felt that Dark Angel Sasrir hadn't answered his question.

But very quickly, he roughly understood what the other party meant.

The Primordial Chaos created not this world, but the entire universe!

So, "Primordial One" refers to the original Creator—the Oldest One? Klein turned his body to the side and swept a glance at the three demigods of the City of Silver, Colin Iliad, Derrick, and Lovia. He realized that they had looks of puzzlement and confusion on their faces. They were frowning and contemplating over the meaning behind the conversation.

In the history of the City of Silver, the Creator who was the ancient sun god was equivalent to the original Creator—the Oldest One. "He" was a supreme existence who had awoken after eons of slumber upon creating the world. "He" then stripped the authorities of the ancient gods and retrieved them.

Of course, in a sense, this wasn't wrong. It was just that the original Creator's method of "awakening" was different from what the City of Silver residents had imagined.

The universe… Klein thought for a moment and asked, "The Primordial One awakened in your body because of you gaining control of Chaos Sea?"

Then, what would happen to him in the future considering how he had gained initial control of Sefirah Castle?

Those brass eyes stared at him for a few seconds before saying, "That isn't the only reason. The higher the Sequence, the closer one is to the Primordial One…"

Therefore, every pathway's King of Angels and Sequence 0 might have the original Creator—the Oldest One—awaken in them? When Klein heard that, he tensed up and his heart sank.

He then thought of another matter.

The higher the Sequence, the easier it was to be corrupted by the things underground!

Combined with the fact that Chaos Sea was underground, could it be possible that the higher the Sequence, the easier it would be to be influenced by Chaos Sea, resulting in the original Creator awakening in one's body? The thing that the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt sealed in the City of Miracles in Groselle's Travels wasn't the underground corruption, but the awakening of the original Creator? Of course, this is the most powerful and terrifying form of corruption… And the source of all this is where most or perhaps all Beyonder characteristics originated from—the original Creator. They are all part of "His" body? Klein thought of various possibilities and came up with all kinds of speculations.

In the end, he remembered the warning Captain Dunn Smith made before he embarked on this Beyonder path:

"We are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness."

At that moment, Klein gained a deep understanding of the phrase from another angle.

Phew… He secretly exhaled and sighed inwardly.

"The Beyonder characteristic is both a gift and a curse…"

He gathered his thoughts and smiled.

"Will one be corrupted from just learning about these matters?"

"No." The brass eyes looked at Colin Iliad and the others and said, "It just means that the chances of the Primordial One awakening in your body is higher."

When he heard that, he was shocked. On the other hand, he was glad that the City of Silver's Chief and Little Sun didn't know much about such matters and hadn't made any connections; after all, the phrase "higher the Sequence, the closer one is to the Primordial One" didn't bring about any corruption. On the other hand, he felt a deep sense of pity for himself. This was because he knew too much about mysticism. Now with all of that chained together, he had no idea what kind of negative changes might happen to him once he left the Giant King's Court, an ancient god's kingdom.

Furthermore, this didn't look like something that could be resolved by sealing his memories. After all, the Beyonder characteristic had already fused with his body and spirit.

Consider the method employed by the Dragon of Imagination? Actually, I don't need to worry too much. Amon and "His" brother definitely know about this, and nothing has happened to "Them" yet… As long as I don't approach Chaos Sea, as a Sequence 3, I don't need to worry about such problems. It would be the same even if I were to advance to Sequence 2… After some thought, Klein gave up the intention to delve deeper into the matter. He curled the corners of his lips and diverted the topic to the mystery of the ancient sun god's perishing:

"Therefore, under your tacit agreement, you worked with the Evernight Goddess and established Rose Redemption, preparing to assassinate yourself. By reviving and escaping the Primordial One, you will truly gain control of Chaos Sea and the corresponding five Beyonder pathways?"

On the dark, eerie, shadowy curtains, there seemed to be some human emotions in those brass eyes.

"That's right.

"Not long after I walked out of Chaos Sea, I realized this problem. I deliberately split a portion of my persona, fusing the authorities of Degeneration with The Hanged Man pathway's Beyonder characteristic, creating another me. Its purpose was to control Chaos Sea and to isolate it from my true body to prevent any contamination and corruption.

"But in the end, the Primordial One still awoke in my body…"

The Dark Angel is essentially the ancient sun god's firewall? The Hanged Man pathway refers to the Secrets Suppliant pathway? Back then, the Dark Angel must have been really powerful. "He" actually had partial control of Chaos Sea. As expected of a King of Angels… As Klein sighed, he recalled that the ancient sun god had failed to prevent the original Creator—the Oldest One—from awakening in "His" body despite working so hard. He also felt a sense of horror, not daring to imagine what his future held.

"That's why I convened Leodero, Aucuses, Herabergen, Medici, and Ouroboros, inviting the various deities and Kings of Angels with Amanises to establish the Rose Redemption." The voice left behind by Dark Angel Sasrir echoed hoarsely.

It's no wonder it's called redemption… It's no wonder Kings of Angels like Medici and Ouroboros, who are completely loyal to the ancient sun god, would participate as well… Klein couldn't help but smile.

"Why didn't you invite Amon and 'His' brother?"

In theory, 'They' should be on the Dark Angel's side.

"'Their' births were a result of my hard work to resist the Primordial One. I was worried that inviting 'Them' would bring about an accident." The brass-colored eyes then cast their gaze back onto Klein.

These secrets left the three demigods of the City of Silver in a daze. Even the Chief of the six-member council, who had read quite a number of ancient documents, had emotional upheavals despite all his knowledge and rich experience.

So that's the case. I knew that the ancient sun god wouldn't have children for no reason… It wasn't easy for Klein to control his Virtual Persona from voicing the thought out loud.

Before he could ask another question, the spirit left behind by Dark Angel Sasrir seemed to sink into "His" memories as "He" continued, "After I was finished preparing everything, I entered this place and sealed off the palace. I returned to my body through my slumber and strengthened my consciousness. It formed a balance with the Primordial One, creating an opportunity for Amanises and the others…

"Ultimately, 'They' successfully killed me…

"According to my original plan, I would've been revived in the Giant King's Court. I would accommodate the corresponding Uniquenesses and Beyonder characteristics via the correct method, but Leodero, Aucuses, and Herabergen betrayed me and ate my body. I could only rush to fuse with my extreme emotions before dying, in which I was reborn within the corpse. I then took away the Beyonder characteristics of the Hanged Man pathway and the authority of Degeneration…"

It's similar to what I imagined… The Lord of Storms, Eternal Blazing Sun, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom eventually committed a betrayal. It's no wonder that Ma'am Hermit's fairy tale magic was effective… With a sudden realization, Klein felt that most of the fog in the history of the Third Epoch had been cleared.

Of course, this was just his belief, nothing real. This was because he had no way of making contact with the fog of history.

After sighing, he suddenly thought of a question.

Since Dark Angel Sasrir has returned to the ancient sun god and has evolved into the True Creator with "His" original body, then who's the one sleeping on the iron-black throne now?

Why did the True Creator force me to enter the Giant King's residence to meet Sasrir?

As his thoughts raced, he cast his gaze back to the iron-black throne, carefully inspecting Dark Angel Sasrir's condition.

The layers of illusory black wings that covered more than half of Sasrir's body gently rose and fell, revealing a layer of grayish-white.

It was located on the black throne, hidden to the right of the Dark Angel, giving off an extremely ancient feeling.

Klein's eyes focused his eyes as he stared at it intently. He quickly confirmed that the grayish-white came from a strange stone. Its surface was mottled with the ravages of time, and it was engraved with words that he had never learned before but could understand at a glance.

These words seemed to be the source of all languages, including but not limited to Jotun, Hermes, ancient Feysac and the Southern Continent's Dutanese.

Sequence 3 Demon of Arcana… Sequence 2 Master… Sequence 1 Light of Darkness… Sequence 0 Paragon… A small amount of information flashed in Klein's mind as he suddenly had a realization.

Blasphemy Slate!

The first Blasphemy Slate!

The first Blasphemy Slate that was born in Chaos Sea!

And this was very likely a key item that the Dark Angel used to control parts of Chaos Sea!

Just as this thought surfaced in his mind, Klein suddenly felt the surroundings become unusually quiet.

The brass eyes that were hidden on the surface of the shadowy curtains seemed to disappear.

Klein's gaze subconsciously shifted upwards to meet a pair of eyes hidden in the shadows.

The Dark Angel Sasrir, who was sleeping on the black throne, opened his eyes.

With a boom, Elder Lovia's body collapsed, turning into a huge shadow.

Behind the shadow, there was a pair of blank but painful eyes.

Chapter 1262 The Truth Behind the Enemy

When he realized that the Dark Angel had woken up, Klein only felt his heart tighten and was on full alert. He didn't feel any fear or anxiety. After all, he had already confirmed that the real Dark Angel had returned to the ancient sun god's body. After being betrayed by the existences such as the Lord of Storms, the Eternal Blazing Sun, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, "He" had focused his negative and extreme emotions on "His" corpse where "He" was reborn, turning into the True Creator. "He" didn't return here, so whatever was left was just a culmination of "His" psyche and will.

Furthermore, he had just communicated with the remnant psyche of Dark Angel Sasrir rather normally; he didn't sense any obvious animosity.

However, with the City of Silver's six-member council Elder, Lovia, losing control without any means to resist the moment she opened her eyes, turning into a flowing shadow and eyes hidden behind the shadowy curtain, Klein couldn't help but widen his pupils as he curled the corners of his lips. A strong sense of fear and despair surged through him. It was as though he was watching himself fall into an abyss without any life-saving straw to clutch at.

Just waking up from "His" slumber and not using any Beyonder powers or revealing "His" Mythical Creature form was enough to make a Sequence 4 demigod of the same pathway lose control on the spot. This was a testimony to how powerful and terrifying "His" level was!

At that moment, all that remained in Klein's mind were the titles he had previously mentioned.

The left hand of God, the deputy of Heaven, the king of the Kings of Angels!

It wasn't as if Klein had never dealt with a King of Angels before. On the contrary, he had frightened Red Angel Medici and made a deal with the Angel of Imagination Adam. He had obtained the key to enter the palace from the Wisdom Angel, Herabergen, and had gleaned potion formulas from White Angel Aucuses. He had managed to crack Angel of Fate Ouroboros's cycles of fate in front of "Him," and had pitted his brains against Angel of Time Amon. He possibly was well-deserving of the title as the person who had crossed the most paths with the Kings of Angels for those below Sequence 0.

However, in these interactions, he had never fought with the Kings of Angels most of the time. He either relied on the power of Sefirah Castle to instantly escape or cut off contact with them. He had never faced the Kings of Angels or deities in the true sense of the word. The only exception was the time when he was caught by Angel of Time Amon, and he had exchanged blows with "Him" several times in the span of a few days.

However, at that time, it was mainly a battle of wits, not a physical battle. The Angel of Time, Amon, had mostly shown the characteristics of a God of Trickery. "He" didn't fully reveal the level and strength of a King of Angels. It was only at the final moment that "He" revealed it, but the Evernight Goddess had used the Giant King's son to stop "Him," preventing "Him" from directly harming or influencing Klein.

Even so, whenever Klein encountered the Angel of Time on the way, "He" would easily finish off the strongest "helpers" that Klein could summon. It was something that Klein couldn't replicate up to now. It exceeded his peak strength. After all, if he wanted to summon the historical projection of Zaratul, he would be in danger.

And at that moment in time, Klein, Colin Iliad, and The Sun were facing the king of the Kings of Angels, the malice-filled deputy of Heaven. "He" was the left hand of god that instantly caused a Sequence 4 demigod to collapse and lose control.

How could such an enemy, with such a level and strength not make them reel in despair?

For a moment, Klein wanted to give up on Derrick and the Chief of the City of Silver, returning to the world above the gray fog with a single thought using the Sefirah Castle's summoning. By relying on the last miracle and Deceit Bullets, he could revive outside the Forsaken Land of the Gods.

As his thoughts raced, he raised the Staff of the Stars in his hand.

At this moment, the shadow that Lovia had broken down in her loss of control stopped flowing. It let out a low voice that was filled with pain but not crazy.

"'He' isn't that strong!"

As she spoke, the curtain-like shadow split apart, revealing what was hidden behind it.

It was a lump of squirming flesh that was nearly two meters tall. At the top, there was a pair of pale gray eyes that seemed to be looking down upon the entire world. They were eyes that had remnants of rationality left in them.

In other parts of this lump of flesh were arms, thighs, and calves that weren't covered in skin, but sticky blood. They either held up the body or crowded towards the chest in layers, tightly hugging a huge, milky-white human skull.

The shadowy curtain fell again, covering the lump of flesh, turning into "her" cape.

Then, a phantom about five to six meters tall appeared in front of Lovia.

This was the Silver Knight that she had Grazed.

She could still control herself and attack Dark Angel Sasrir.

Upon seeing this scene, when Klein and Colin Iliad heard what Lovia had said, they quickly understood what she had meant without needing any further explanation from her.

Dark Angel Sasrir didn't possess the strength "He" appeared to possess. "He" only used the authority of "Degeneration" and "His" influence over relatively lower Sequences as a High-Sequence Beyonder of the same pathway to make Lovia's body degenerate, betray, and break down on the spot. As for her own spirit, she still remained conscious and rational. She could still control her own strength to a certain extent.

Of course, with the loss of control of her body, large amounts of corruption would corrode her spirit. It wouldn't take long for her to completely go mad. This could be subverted if she could quickly resolve the battle in time, and think of a way to turn her into an evil spirit, surviving in another form.

With this knowledge, combined with seeing the first Blasphemy Slate and his own guesses, Klein had a preliminary understanding of the enemy he was facing.

"He" was a product of the psyche, will, and aura left behind by the Dark Angel, as well as Chaos Sea's powers which were brought about by the first Blasphemy Slate. Perhaps there was a bit of the awakening consciousness of the Primordial One—in other words, the original Creator. There was a small amount of it, a consciousness that was crazy and filled with evil thoughts!

This was equivalent to a different type of evil spirit. It was unknown if it was considered a complete angelic evil spirit.

And this could be the reason why high-level existences like the True Creator, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, and Amon's brother didn't personally enter the Giant King's palace. Once "They" approached the Primordial One and Chaos Sea, it was more dangerous for "Them" the higher "Their" Sequences were!

Back then, Amon, an entity akin to an Error, had used "His" avatar to lay an ambush in Chernobyl, but "He" hadn't dared to actually enter Chaos Sea. All he did was climb down the cliff and hide near Chaos Sea, pretending that "He" had climbed out from it. Otherwise, it could very well affect "His" true body.

As for Low-Sequence Beyonders, they were unable to resist the surge released from opening the door to the Giant King's residence—corruption that had accumulated for over two thousand years.

Even if those high-level existences had carefully chosen a suitable Sequence 3 or Sequence 4 demigod to indirectly help them defeat the influence brought about by the corruption and enter the resting grounds hidden in the shadows, without the sefirah's aura to resist the negative effects of the leaking powers of Chaos Sea, they wouldn't be able to truly approach the figure left behind by Dark Angel Sasrir and obtain the first Blasphemy Slate.

Therefore, the True Creator had tolerated Klein numerous times, only finding an opportunity to corrupt him and force him to meet Dark Angel Sasrir. This was because he was the only viable candidate.

By the same logic, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, Herabergen, the Angel of Imagination, Adam, and the other deities and Kings of Angels who had an interest in this matter had more or less made some arrangements for Klein, blessing him to a certain extent, pushing him to where he was now.

Without any hesitation, Klein outlined an image in his mind through the Staff of the Stars he raised. Colin Iliad took a step forward and bent down.

This City of Silver's Chief's body swelled rapidly, once again revealing an incomplete Mythical Creature form. He became a five-to-six-meter-tall Silver Knight covered in silver armor, holding a pair of gigantified swords of dawn.

Derrick was slightly slower than the two experienced demigods. He quickly spread his arms, as though he was hugging the void in front of him.

At that moment, two pitch-black flames ignited in the eyes of the awakened Dark Angel Sasrir.

"He," who shared the height of a giant, immediately pressed down on the armrest by lowering "His" arm, slowly getting to "His" feet. The gorgeous accessories on "His" body hung down one after another as layer after layer of black wings spread open on "His" back.

During this process, the shadow cape on the lump of squirming flesh—Lovia—came alive. It suddenly tightened, fixing her firmly in place.

At the same time, Dark Angel Sasrir had silver threads wrapped around "Him." In front of the black robe with mysterious patterns, silver bolts of lightning appeared out of thin air. They sizzled and intertwined with each other in a thunderous manner. They rapidly extended forward, transforming into a resplendent lightning sea that attempted to drown the entire shadow palace.

Gong!

An illusory chime sounded from a distant history as the melodious sound echoed in the shadow palace.

An ancient mottled wall clock appeared in front of Klein. Its face was separated into twelve different segments by grayish-white and bluish-black colors. Each segment had different, mysterious, and asymmetric symbols.

The three fingers, which seemed to be formed by Worms of Time of different length, began to tick lightly.

When the chime rang again, the lightning sea that was rapidly spreading in the shadow palace clearly froze.

Klein had successfully used the Staff of the Stars to reproduce Angel of Time Amon's Beyonder powers!

And the effects were much better than his previous attempts.

This made him suspect if he had obtained the approval of the God of Deceit and even obtained "blessings" from "Him" to a certain degree.

It wasn't true that merely simulating Amon's Beyonder powers would gain "His" notice, but that this King of Angels was almost equivalent to the Marauder pathway's Uniqueness. "He" was the ruler of the corresponding domain, and "He" was the wielder of the corresponding authority. "He" could make a certain level of adjustments to particular powers in advance, enhancing or deleting them.

From the looks of it, Amon appeared to be looking forward to seeing Klein enter the Giant King's residence to meet Dark Angel Sasrir. Therefore, "He" had adjusted some of his own domain's Beyonder powers in advance, and lowered some of his "authority" in certain aspects, allowing simple replications to achieve a better effect.

While the lightning sea had come to a halt, the Silver Knight soul that Lovia controlled, and Colin Iliad simultaneously stabbed their swords into the ground, creating two invisible barriers. As for Klein, his figure faded and he disappeared.

Chapter 1263 The Final Watch

After a short pause, a brilliant silvery-white glow continued to stretch out in front of them, completely drowning out the two invisible barriers that shielded Colin Iliad, Derrick Berg, and Lovia.

The barrier blocking the silver snaking lightning began to violently tremble. A crack that resembled tree branches appeared. As for how long the barrier could last in the Lightning Storm, that remained a question.

At this moment, behind Dark Angel Sasrir, there was an area that wasn't covered by the forest of lightning. Klein's figure, in his black trench coat and silk half top hat, appeared.

He was like a precise and cold machine. Without any hesitation, he aimed the Staff of the Stars at the side of the special evil spirit, quickly outlining all sorts of information related to the Beyonder powers in his mind.

He had previously performed tests—he couldn't "Wander" too far with the Staff of the Stars within the Giant King's Court, so he could only use "Blink" in a tiny vicinity. Therefore, he gave up on the idea of directly sending Dark Angel Sasrir out the Giant King's Court and seizing the opportunity to take the first Blasphemy Slate and leaving by "opening" the door.

As the various gems on the Staff of the Stars lit up, Sasrir's eyes which burned with pitch-black flames suddenly closed.

He had been forcibly dragged into a dream by Klein!

This was a Beyonder power belonging to the Evernight pathway's Sequence 7, but the one that Klein replicated had belonged to the version which the Evernight Cloister's matron, the Servant of Concealment Arianna, had used—the Beyonder power of pulling someone into a dream performed at the angel-level!

In the hazy dream world, Dark Angel Sasrir wore a black robe with complicated symbols embroidered with silver threads and adorned with accessories. "He" had appeared in a desolate moor.

"His" eyes remained ice-cold, unlike the dull and lifeless eyes of most Beyonders when they were in dreams.

The Spectator pathway also belonged to the Chaos Sea pathway. And its Sequence 5 and Sequence 3 were Dreamwalker and Dreamweaver respectively!

Moments later, Sasrir's pupils turned golden and vertical.

"His" giant figure faded away as a layer of abnormally thick shadows appeared in front of "Him."

This shadow completely blocked Sasrir, making it possible to vaguely make out a pair of eyes hidden behind the "curtain."

In the blink of an eye, the "curtains" parted, revealing an indescribable color, like a sea that seemed to contain all secrets.

Boom!

When Klein, the conjurer of the dream, saw this scene, his mind erupted with thoughts before he could analyze the details. It was as though his brain was a boiling pot of wheat porridge.

The corners of his mouth curled up instinctively, and most of his Virtual Persona disintegrated. He nearly let out a tragic cry as transparent maggots under his left cheek began to drill out one by one. The meat tendrils on his right face grew more and more obvious, becoming thinner and thinner, approaching that of Worms of Spirit.

The forcefully-induced dream disintegrated, and Dark Angel Sasrir's consciousness returned to the real world.

However, at that moment when the special evil spirit fell into a deep slumber, the sea of lightning faded away. The three demigods of the City of Silver struck back at the same time.

Colin Iliad straightened his body and struck out with the sword of dawn in his right hand, causing the silvery-white light to "Blink" to Sasrir's body. As Lovia resisted the restraints of the shadow "cloak," she got the Silver Knight evil spirit she Grazed to swing its greatsword upwards from below, bringing with it a terrifying storm formed from blobs of light. Derrick condensed a dazzling white "Unshadowed Spear," thrusting it at the Dark Angel as it left crackling sounds in its wake.

At this moment, Sasrir's figure emitted infinite pure light, as though "He" had suddenly become a sun that descended into reality.

Under the "sun"'s illumination, the "Unshadowed Spear" melted. The "Hurricane of Light" calmed down, and the silver beam dimmed. All the latter could do was damage the target's aura, and not deal any harm to "His" body.

The scene of a true deity's descent shocked Lovia and Derrick. They couldn't help but bow their heads in worship. As for the Silver Knight evil spirit, it quickly melted under the blazing sunlight and completely evaporated.

Suddenly, Sasrir's eyes closed once again.

Behind "His" back, with the Worms of Spirit constantly vanishing on Klein's body, he stubbornly endured the scorching sun's heat and pointed the Staff of the Stars at the evil spirit—the embodiment of the King of Angels.

The Beyonder power that he had replicated once again had forcefully pulled Dark Angel Sasrir into a dream!

However, unlike before, the moment Klein entered the dreamscape, he immediately released his Sefirah Castle's aura, transforming his body into the strange door of light that was tainted with some bluish-black colors. The door of light was made up of countless layers of illusory spherical light. Every spherical light was deep down a transparent and translucent cluster of twisted maggots.

Just like him, Dark Angel Sasrir revealed the traits of Chaos Sea. First, "He" turned into a thick and sinister shadow, then "He" pulled open the "curtain," allowing the "sea" that contained all colors and something the human language couldn't describe to appear in the dream.

Silently, Sasrir and Klein opened their eyes at the same time and raised their bodies slightly across each other.

One of them was covered in a faint shadow, while the other's expression was twisted and ferocious. Many Worms of Spirit crawled across the surface of his body.

Klein's Virtual Persona completely shattered.

Seizing this opportunity while Sasrir was affected, Lovia, who had the shadow "cloak" draped over her, blinked her pale-gray eyes. She used the two-meter-tall, squirming flesh to extend. Those skinless legs, which were flowing with bright red liquid, stepped onto the ground at the same time. With the help of the roiling winds, they pounced towards the Dark Angel.

A look of madness appeared in her eyes. It didn't appear like it would take long before her Spirit Body suffered complete corruption, pushing her towards losing control.

However, at that moment, Lovia's eyes were filled with more rationality and determination.

She knew what she was doing and knew her current state and her subsequent end.

Amidst the howling winds, her collapsing body, along with the shadow "cloak," landed on Dark Angel Sasrir's body.

The squirming flesh and blood intruded as the thick shadow rapidly expanded, binding the two figures together.

Without waiting for Lovia to speak, Colin Iliad had already understood her intentions. He immediately roared in a low voice, "Attack!"

Boom!

His two swords tore through the void at the same time, allowing the silver light to surge at Lovia and Dark Angel Sasrir who were embroiled with each other.

Upon hearing the Chief's words, Derrick bit his lip and spread open his arms halfway.

The palace that was shrouded in the shadows suddenly lit up as huge balls of light filled with holy flames appeared out of thin air. They enveloped the Dark Angel and Lovia within, quickly melting them and igniting their flesh.

Flaring Sun!

Amid this bright glow, Lovia's pale-gray eyes revealed the pain that she acutely felt. Her voice echoed in an ethereal manner.

"I have never betrayed the City of Silver…"

Before she could finish her sentence, the flesh and the shadow "cloak" she used to envelop Dark Angel Sasrir's body swelled up.

Boom!

Lovia's collapsing body was sent flying before she fell to the ground. Her shadow tore apart, turning into a thin, illusory veil that slowly floated down.

Dark Angel Sasrir turned into a pitch-black and sticky sea filled with an aura of Degeneration. It swallowed the remaining silvery-white light and "Flaring Sun," reducing it to nothing.

"He" immediately returned to "His" previous appearance—a giant dressed in a gorgeous black robe with silver threads. However, the black wings on his back had thinned significantly.

At the same time, "His" pupils turned vertical and turned golden.

A violent but surreal wind surged around "Him" and filled every corner of the shadow palace with all sorts of thoughts.

Mind Deprivation!

Derrick's recently condensed "Unshadowed Spear" disappeared. He stood rooted to the ground in shock. Although Colin Iliad had a strong will, he suffered from the madness, cruelty, and bloodlust of an incomplete Mythical Creature form. All he could do was divert some attention to resist the influence so as to prevent himself from losing control. Just as Klein calmed down and allowed his Worms of Spirit to burrow back into his body, he suffered an intense fear brought about by "Mind Deprivation." His body instantly convulsed, preventing him from using the Staff of the Stars.

Lovia's body had already collapsed, and with her soul almost completely corrupted, she was in a worse off state. She rolled on the ground struggling, leaving behind blood-colored sticky liquid.

At this moment, Dark Angel Sasrir raised "His" left hand. The golden colors in "His" eyes was replaced by two blazing white suns.

Rays of holy flames fell down one after another, striking Lovia's body, destroying her soul and purifying her flesh.

Lovia's aura rapidly dissipated as her pale gray eyes lost their luster.

Her body, which had collapsed into a lump of flesh and blood, curled up. The skinless arms covered in bright red liquid wrapped the milky-white, large human skull tightly in front of her "chest" and pressed it under her.

Under the blazing "sunlight", the holy flames burned. Lovia maintained this posture, not allowing herself to move, nor allowing the human skull to be revealed and receive any damage.

Another column of light shot down. Lovia's body couldn't help but bounce up, but she still huddled there writhing.

Finally, this lump of distorted, disgusting, squirming flesh stopped moving and covered the surface of the human skull. It was dark, dull, and damaged.

During the Dark Angel Sasrir's act of murdering Lovia, Klein quickly recovered from the effects of "Mind Deprivation" by using his unique traits and past experience. He felt an uncontrollable sense of despair towards this battle.

They had used all their strength, but they had only slightly injured the evil spirit. Now that they had lost a demigod, the situation that followed would probably be even worse.

What should I do? As Klein used Creeping Hunger to change his position, his thoughts raced in search of any possible weaknesses.

It's intrinsically an evil spirit… An evil spirit… Just as his figure appeared elsewhere, he suddenly had an idea. He cast his gaze on the grayish-white stone slate on the iron-black throne!

Some evil spirits had Beyonder characteristics, but most of them didn't. The source of their powers stemmed from other places, such as the spirit world. The existence of evil spirits needed something to rely on. This might be the "territory" that "He" was born in, or perhaps something special. The common point was that evil spirits could use them to connect to the spirit world or even the Underworld to obtain the power to maintain their existence.

And this evil spirit that originated from Dark Angel Sasrir might even be mixed with some of the will of the Primordial. Where did "His" powers come from?

This was the Forsaken Land of the Gods, and the connection with the spirit world was sealed. It was almost completely severed, making the powers difficult to be effectively utilized. Klein could "Teleport" only by relying on the uniqueness of a divine kingdom or the divine kingdom's embryonic form. As for the Giant King's Court, it was clearly unable to provide the powers of the Spectator, The Sun, The Hanged Man, Reader, and Tyrant pathways. The traits the Dark Angel formerly possessed clearly belonged to the True Creator at present, making it not present here.

Therefore, the answer to the source of the evil spirit's power was very simple:

Chaos Sea!

In the shadow palace, the only thing directly connected to Chaos Sea was the Blasphemy Slate!

When Klein cast his gaze at the iron-black throne, he noticed that the City of Silver's Chief, Colin Iliad, had also glanced over.

Chapter 1264 Succeeding

There was no need for any communication. Just from this sudden locking of eyes, Klein knew that Colin Iliad had the same thoughts as him.

He didn't hesitate to flip the black staff embedded with many gems and point it at himself.

In the next second, it was as if Klein's body was a sketch that had met an eraser. It was wiped away inch by inch, and he quickly disappeared.

This was the power of Concealment, one that also came from the leader of the ascetics of the Church of Evernight, Arianna.

As the power of Concealment that was replicated by the Staff of the Stars was definitely much weaker than the original version, and the evil spirit's level was rather high, Klein didn't attempt to use it on Dark Angel Sasrir. Instead, he targeted himself.

At the same time that he was "concealed," Colin Iliad fused into the faint light that illuminated everything in the shadow palace with his two swords of dawn.

Around Dark Angel Sasrir, who was dressed in a silver-threaded black robe, silver beams lit up one after another. Colin struck the evil spirit from different angles, forming a tornado that swept upwards. During this process, the gigantified Colin Iliad didn't appear at all. Furthermore, he hid his malicious intent, making it impossible for the enemy to determine where his next attack would come from.

Derrick Berg recovered from the shock and quickly condensed bright white "Unshadowed Spears" as he wildly thrust them forward.

Amidst the crackling sounds, the Unshadowed Spears were either blocked by the black armor formed by the aura of Degeneration, or by the layered silvery-white sphere of lightning. He failed to truly hurt Dark Angel Sasrir, but it effectively affected his opponent's actions.

While the two City of Silver demigods were holding back that special evil spirit, Klein, who was in a "concealed" state, approached the iron-black throne.

In his "concealed" state, he saw veiled scenes that were covered in a dark fog. He could only roughly tell where he was and what the surrounding objects were. He was unable to exert any influence on the outside world. If not for this, the moment he entered the "concealed" state, he could secretly control Sasrir's Spirit Body Threads. It would be a method impossible to fend against.

After rapidly approaching the iron-black throne, Klein ended his "concealed" state, allowing his figure to instantly appear to the right of the target.

Following that, he aimed the Staff of the Stars at the grayish-white ancient stone slab.

Ignoring the contents on it, Klein quickly outlined a very familiar Beyonder power in his mind.

Boom!

Silver bolts of lightning shot out with a strong destructive aura, striking the first Blasphemy Slate.

This was the Lightning Storm power from the Sea God Scepter!

Boom!

Amidst the silver light that illuminated the surrounding area, an illusory "light" that was almost invisible appeared between the first Blasphemy Slate and Dark Angel Sasrir. It was difficult to describe the exact color, but under the terrifying lightning's pandemonium, they evaporated and broke apart.

Pure beams of light shot out from Sasrir's body, leaving no darkness in the shadow palace. Nothing else could hide.

Unshadowed Domain.

The nearly six-meter-tall Colin IIliad appeared in his silver armor. Together with Klein, layers of blazing halos pushed them away into the distance. The attacks of Derrick's "Unshadowed Spears" and "Flaring Sun" were also blocked by these corporeal halos.

Right on the heels of that, Dark Angel Sasrir's eyes were dyed with a brass sheen. In each of them, an illusory river that shimmered with waves of light appeared, circling the first Blasphemy Slate and "His" figure.

The "river" flowed upstream as the illusory "light" that had evaporated and severed appeared once again and connected to it.

The damage that Klein had painstakingly inflicted was quickly returned to normal.

The cycle of fate, the rebooting of all things!

Sasrir raised "His" left hand and condensed a deep-black scepter. "He" then used "His" brass-like eyes to sweep across the demigods present. "He" said in a deep but magnificent voice, "I'm omniscient, and also omnipotent."

As "His" voice echoed in the air, both Klein and Colin Iliad didn't waver at all. They either "Blinked" or moved at high speeds, not giving the terrifying evil spirit a chance to lock onto them. They also attempted to launch a new wave of attacks. However, Klein didn't dare to forcefully pull the Dark Angel into a dream again, because if he was attacked by the aura and power of Chaos Sea again, he might lose control immediately. Elsewhere, Derrick covered his body with a layer of pure light, forming holy armor.

At that moment, a pitch-black flame burned in Sasrir's brass eyes.

"His" voice turned evil and sinister, carrying a strong sense of "Degeneration."

"Blasphemer, die!"

Klein's body, heart, and soul suddenly sank. He felt as though he was about to die. His consciousness turned blurry as his energy evaporated; his flesh began to wither inch by inch.

Colin Iliad was slightly better than him. He only felt his body grow heavy as his life slipped away uncontrollably. The madness that came from his incomplete Mythical Creature form grew stronger.

Derrick, who was farthest from Dark Angel Sasrir, emitted bright bouts of sunlight, helping him quickly escape from his trance. He then opened his mouth.

"God says it's ineffective!"

The feeling of death instantly dissipated a little, allowing Klein and Colin Iliad to barely find themselves.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The giant-like Colin Iliad rushed towards Dark Angel Sasrir. Along the way, he kept changing his position, dodging unstoppable dark, sharp beams.

In the blink of an eye, he had already closed in on the target.

Dark Angel Sasrir immediately pointed the pitch-black scepter ahead, causing Colin Iliad's body to produce a shadow within the Unshadowed Domain. The shadow came alive as it followed the legs of the City of Silver Chief, "swallowing" him.

Gong!

A distant bell sounded as though it had pierced through history.

The ancient, mottled stone wall clock appeared in front of Klein once again, bringing with it a brief respite.

As he made use of this respite, Klein used the Staff of the Stars to reproduce the "Unshadowed Spear" and cast it at Colin Iliad's shadow.

The blazing light exploded, dispersing the shadow like the sun.

Colin's face under his visor twisted, but he didn't hesitate at all. He jumped up, appearing right above Dark Angel Sasrir and cleaved down with his two swords of dawn.

Gong!

Sasrir seemed to see through Colin Iliad's intention. "He" raised the black scepter horizontally and blocked the other party's cleaving strike.

Suddenly, Colin Iliad's body melted.

He became sticky, heavy "mercury", surging down like waves, instantly drowning Dark Angel Sasrir. It was as if "He" was wearing a set of full-body silver armor, without any gaps in between. Colin wanted to suffocate the entity inside!

Sasrir's actions were immediately restricted.

Taking this opportunity, Klein's figure suddenly turned transparent as he appeared beside the iron-black throne.

Teleportation!

Then, he raised the Staff of the Stars and conjured a certain Beyonder power.

It was one of the core powers of the Marauder pathway.

Theft!

Just as he had expected, the "Theft" was carried out rather successfully. It was as though the current Sequence 2 angel, Pallez Zoroast, had personally taken action.

The "light" that connected the Dark Angel and the first Blasphemy Slate separated from Sasrir, shifting to Klein!

At that instant, Klein's thoughts nearly exploded. The indescribable color and form appeared in front of him once again. It was abnormally illusory, as though it was a sea containing all secrets.

Just as he was about to lose control due to the aura and powers of the Chaos Sea, the parts of his body that were corrupted by the True Creator suddenly experienced a change. They seemed to be attracted by a strong attractive force as they rapidly gathered together and began to take over the nearly invisible "light," making him stop at the edge of a proverbial cliff.

Indeed… As Klein sighed, he tried his best to restrain his mind that had been inundated. He was temporarily unable to move.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The silver armor covering Dark Angel Sasrir's body began to crack in the darkness.

These beams of light that came from the "Cull of Spiritual Flesh" tore out, turning the mercury into tattered pieces and flying far away.

With a loud snap, the mercury fell to the ground, regathering into the form of Colin Iliad.

There were gaping holes in the Chief's body. Inside it was a black, frozen, decadent, and illusory aura.

At that moment, the illusory, layered black wings on Sasrir's back dimmed significantly. "His" eyes had once again worn a brass sheen, a faint flickering illusory river appearing in them.

Upon seeing this scene, Colin Iliad instinctively recalled what had happened.

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, he relied on his intuition to charge out without hesitation, filled with great resolve.

His body ignited a transparent flame, emitting the bright light of dawn.

These beams of light came from his soul, his body, his Beyonder characteristic, and the two swords he struck out merged together, turning into a raging, violent storm that swept out.

At this moment, Colin Iliad's "eyes" were filled with the light of dawn he created, and the towering figure dressed in a gorgeous black robe with illusory black wings.

Bearing the light, he charged towards the light—Sasrir.

The terrifying "Hurricane of Light" instantly enveloped the Dark Angel, tearing at "His" body, interrupting the Beyonder powers that "He" was about to use. It made the evil spirit that had lost the source of its power rapidly fade away amidst the fragments of light.

When the light dissipated, holes appeared on Dark Angel Sasrir's body. The layers of wings on "His" back were spread out, but "He" failed to borrow any strength.

Colin Iliad immediately turned into sticky "mercury," once again covering most of the evil spirit's body, restricting "His" movements.

Then, the City of Silver Chief shouted in a low voice to Derrick Berg, just like he did when he was facing Lovia:

"Attack!"

Chapter 1265 Warrior

"Attack!"

Upon hearing the Chief's words, Derrick froze for a moment before instinctively spreading his arms.

During this process, his vision blurred and he let out an extremely repressed voice from the depths of his throat.

A blob of light covered in holy flames descended out of thin air, devouring the figures of Dark Angel Sasrir and Colin Iliad.

Before the blast of light exploded, Derrick pulled back his arm, forming a bright white and pure "Unshadowed Spear" in his palm.

Amidst the crackling sounds, the long spear of light tore through the holy flames and accurately hit the evil spirit's head.

Dazzling light burst out, completely covering the entire area. Even the crazed Klein couldn't avoid it, as he was too close to it. He couldn't help but close his eyes, his face contorted into a grimace. He felt as though his Worms of Spirit were evaporating one after another. The connection between the Blasphemy Slate and the True Creator's power of corruption had been greatly purified before they could fully be established.

The sun seemed to rise in the sky. Dark Angel Sasrir's indistinct figure appeared, twisting and distorting amidst the blinding white light and holy flames, melting away.

Then, the shadow that covered the walls, stone pillars, and tiles began to disintegrate, revealing inches of orange-red light.

The palace hidden in the residence of the Giant King finally failed to sustain its existence in the real world. It no longer blocked out the influence of the outside world.

This also meant that the special evil spirit that had lost contact with Chaos Sea had truly been cleansed.

Just as the shadow palace began to collapse without completely disintegrating, an invisible force finally pierced through the barrier, causing a minute amount of it to descend. This caused the corrupting nature gathered inside Klein's body to increase in intensity!

They protruded out from his chest, turning into a black ball of flesh.

The flesh immediately broke free from Klein's body, severing all invisible connections with him. It quickly squirmed and grew, turning into a gigantic shadow hand. It followed the illusory "light" between itself and the first Blasphemy Slate, and it grabbed the item.

At the same time, in the ruins of the battlefield of the gods' dream world, in front of the projection of the Giant King's residence.

Dressed in a pointed hat and a classic black robe, Amon sat on the tall, grayish-white railing, with "His" back facing the orange-red path that separated the clouds. "He" leisurely looked at the grayish-blue door covered with golden nails; it was a mystery as to how long "He" had been waiting there for.

Suddenly, "He" adjusted the monocle on "His" right eye and easily jumped down the railing, arriving at the door of the Giant King's residence's projection.

"The power of Chaos Sea is beginning to fade. I can use the 'bug' in all of this to directly enter…" As "He" smiled, "He" reached out "His" right hand and pressed it on the door's shadow.

"His" figure immediately softened and lost its corporeal feeling before "He" entered the door like a stream of light.

…

Backlund, somewhere on the battlefield.

With short blond hair and dark green eyes, Crestet Cesimir genuflected on the ground, stabbing a pure white bone sword, that wasn't more than one meter long in length, in front of him to support himself.

His body was covered with charred holes and cracks that went straight through his body. His teeth were protruding and sharp, like that of a beast.

This high-ranking deacon, whose consciousness was beginning to blur, struggled to shift his gaze from the weak enemy who wasn't far away towards the sky.

The orange sunset had partially invaded the dark night.

Crestet Cesimir tried his best to pull out his bone sword and stand up to fight. He wanted to be a Nightwatcher to the very end, but his arm trembled violently as his breathing weakened.

In the astral world, in an endless and silent darkness filled with moon flowers and night vanilla.

Suddenly, orange beams of light shone into the kingdom, causing a portion of the area to return to dusk. One by one, the plants withered.

In the desolate dusk, a gigantic mountain-like figure walked out. "His" limbs were abnormally long, and "He" wore tattered silver armor. "His" face was covered by a helmet's visor, only revealing a blob of orange light.

"He" held an exaggerated sword in "His" hand, causing the tip to naturally hang down, touching the dark "ground."

As the terrifying giant walked forward, step by step, the sword continued to be dragged across the darkness, causing the ground to split apart as dusk froze.

Deep in the darkness, an equally large figure pulled out a long sickle.

"She" was wearing a black dress that was layered but not complicated. It was adorned with countless resplendent lights, as though they were stars that dotted the night sky.

Near "Her" ribs and waist, two pairs of arms grew out. Their surfaces were covered in short deep-black hair.

In "Her" six arms, two carried the huge black sickle that appeared heavy. Another two hands held a crimson "moon." Out of the hands "She" had left, one was empty, while the other held an ancient accessory forged from gold.

The accessory looked like a slender bird with pale-white flames surrounding it. Within its bronze eyes, there were layers of light, forming numerous illusory doors.

The giant wasn't surprised by such a scene. The speed of "His" stride sped up, gradually approaching that of a charge.

"He" dragged "His" sword against his surroundings which were a mixture of darkness and dusk, producing glimmers of the pure light of dawn.

At this moment, the moon flowers and night vanilla to the side suddenly grew in size, growing wildly. Soon, they resembled trees that had lived in a primitive forest for more than a thousand years. They were densely packed, blocking out the "sky."

Amongst these trees, a figure twined by deep green vines and adorned with various herbs and flowers appeared.

"She" was also as huge as a mountain and had a voluptuous figure. "Her" dress fluttered as "She" carried an illusory baby.

The moment the figure descended, "She" followed the sunset giant and flitted towards the humanoid demonic wolf that was dragging a huge black sickle.

…

In the palace where shadows were falling apart, although some of the corruption had left Klein's body, making him no longer need to worry about any latent danger in this aspect, this was equivalent to culling many of his Worms of Spirit. He couldn't help but let out a low gasp as transparent and twisted maggots crawled out of his writhing face. They had mysterious patterns on them, and his mind was like a lake that had a boulder thrown into it. He was momentarily unable to calm down.

At that moment, a familiar figure appeared in his eyes which became bloodshot due to the pain.

It was the Angel of Time, Amon, who wore a monocle and a pointed hat.

Amon smiled at him, scaring him into having the thought of returning to Sefirah Castle immediately.

Although this would suck for The Sun, Klein felt that he would have the ability to save him due to the angel powers from being in Sefirah Castle. After all, the influences from the outside world could now enter this area.

But in a blink of an eye, the Angel of Time cast "His" gaze towards the grayish-white Blasphemy Slate. "He" cast it towards the shadow hand that was saturating and growing stronger with the collapse of the "land of slumber."

Amon immediately raised "His" right hand and adjusted "His" right eye's monocle.

The crystal monocle turned dark, as though it was mixed with countless colors in an indescribable manner.

An illusory, terrifying, tumultuous "sea" appeared in front of Amon.

This Blasphemer had released some unknown power "He" had stolen from somewhere at some point in time! Or perhaps, it was some power of convergence!

The Blasphemy Slate suddenly vibrated and emitted a buzzing sound as though it was alive.

It broke free from the remaining "light" that wasn't stable enough between the shadow hand, and it threw itself at Amon!

Klein, who had just recovered from the pain from his fear and horror, couldn't believe his eyes as they dilated.

The first Blasphemy Slate actually didn't choose the True Creator of the Hanged Man pathway, and instead sought refuge with the Marauder pathway's Angel of Time!

After a momentary daze, he vaguely understood the whole story.

Amon's true body has wandered the Forsaken Land of the Gods for more than a thousand years before entering Chernobyl, doing so in search of the history from the Second all the way to before the First Epoch. "He" must've hovered at the edge of Chaos Sea, and had done some dangerous research. "He" had "stolen" some traits, and now, "He" is only using the release of this stolen trait to attract the Blasphemy Slate.

Simply put, this King of Angels had prepared for this for a very long time. As for the True Creator, "He" is unable to completely descend. "He" has to wait for the Dark Angel's "land of slumber" to completely collapse.

But the problem is, why would Amon steal the first Blasphemy slate? It's useless for "Him"… "He" has no way of transferring to the Spectator, Reader, Tyrant, Sun, and Hanged Man pathways! Could it be just because it's fun? When the deities and "His" brother are plotting for this Blasphemy Slate, "He" suddenly intervenes and runs away? But isn't it more important for "Him" to capture me? As Klein remained puzzled with Amon's goals, he slowly retreated, opening his eyes wider, trying his best to pry into the secrets on the surface of the Blasphemy Slate. He wanted to memorize the potion formula he needed.

"Sequence 1: Attendant of Mysteries…" As soon as the corresponding words entered his eyes, Amon reached out with "His" left hand and grabbed the Blasphemy Slate. Then, "He" suddenly turned around and pressed "His" right hand on the grayish-blue door that was still covered with a small amount of shadows.

The figure wearing a pointed hat and a classic black robe immediately turned illusory as "He" tore through the door and vanished.

The shadow hand which was partially formed by Klein's corruption rapidly expanded amidst the collapse of the "land of slumber." Finally, it turned into a black shadow and chased after Amon, rushing out of the closed door.

In the next second, all the shadows disappeared. The orange-red light illuminated the palace that the Giant King once lived in.

In front of the iron-black throne, on the platform that was illuminated by the light of dusk, Colin Iliad's figure appeared.

He was wearing a tattered silver armor, revealing several old scars on his face. He sat there quietly, like a warrior who had just finished his last battle.

His two swords had already crumbled, and he had stopped breathing. However, Klein could sense that there were still remnants of his will and psyche. The former couldn't bear to just dissipate without delivering his last words.

At the bottom of the stairs, Derrick saw this scene. With his eyes red, he ran closer and stumbled, acting nothing like a demigod.

He quickly knelt beside Colin Iliad and shouted, his voice going soft, "Chief…"

Chapter 1266 Ligh

For a demigod Beyonder, they experienced a qualitative change due to their powerful souls. Even in death, their psyche could persist for some time. Unless this was circumvented due to an enemy deliberately destroying it, a High-Sequence Beyonder, who continued having a strong desire or unresolved matters during their state of death, could have their remnant will last longer. As such, he could slowly assimilate the surrounding areas, allowing it to mix with the spirit world, and even the Underworld, so as to turn it into an evil spirit.

Therefore, although Colin Iliad had stopped breathing, he was still able to hear Derrick's cry while sitting at the top of the ancient god's staircase in tattered silver armor. He turned his head to look at the underaged demigod before smiling.

"Compared to the Elders of the past, it's a form of luck for Lovia and myself to die here."

Upon hearing this, Derrick gaped his mouth, wanting to say something, but felt something pressing down on his heart, blocking his throat.

Not far away, Klein raised the Staff of the Stars and attempted to use Will Auceptin's "Reboot" to save Colin Iliad. However, he failed several times in a row. Even the successful attempt didn't have the ability to reverse everything. The effects were clearly inferior to the original's, and it involved a Uniqueness—Amon's true body had descended.

He's already dead, so he can't even be turned into a marionette. He can only consider turning into an evil spirit, but there's almost no evil spirit that can maintain their humanity. Even Dark Angel Sasrir failed to do so… The only exception is the Red Angel Medici trio. But that was only after "They" left "Their" "territory" and went to Bansy Harbor… This Chief doesn't seem willing to take this route… To the residents of the City of Silver, becoming an evil spirit is undoubtedly a curse… Klein sighed and cast his gaze elsewhere to observe the Giant King's palace that had its shadows recede.

Colin Iliad examined Derrick's face and sighed.

"When you return, you'll be a member of the six-member council.

"I know. Relative to your age, this is a very heavy responsibility, but everyone in the City of Silver has to be prepared to shoulder everyone's fate."

Derrick nodded and said with a nasal voice, "Yes, Your Excellency!"

Colin Iliad revealed an amiable smile.

"Don't be worried that they'll misunderstand this. I'll tell you a secret. Currently, in the City of Silver, only Waite and I know of it.

"When you get back, tell this to Waite immediately. He will understand that Lovia's and my death has nothing to do with you. Otherwise, you will not obtain this secret from me."

Having said that, Colin Iliad looked up at Gehrman Sparrow and nodded gently.

"From today onwards, everyone in the City of Silver can freely change their faith to Mr. Fool."

Derrick wasn't excited at all. He nodded heavily, indicating that he understood.

Colin Iliad immediately retracted his gaze. A layer of solemnity and bitterness appeared on his clearly exhausted face.

"That secret is related to the second god-level Sealed Artifact of our City of Silver.

"It's called 'Gift of the Land.'"

Derrick wiped his eyes with his arm and listened attentively to the Chief's description.

Colin Iliad sighed and continued, "It's precisely because of this Sealed Artifact that Black-Faced Grass can grow around the City of Silver, preventing us from completely sinking into the dark ages…"

Derrick's pupils dilated as the sadness in his heart eased.

He remembered very clearly that the textbooks mentioned the discovery of Black-Faced Grass as the key turning point in the history of the City of Silver. He believed that if there was no such safe and harmless staple food, then the City of Silver would've long become a playground for monsters.

At that instant, Derrick thought of many things. He finally understood why the mushrooms that Mr. World had given had undergone a huge transformation in the City of Silver, one that was different from the original description.

Colin Iliad's gaze swept across his face, and his voice suddenly turned deep.

"It's precisely because of this that we are burdened with the fate of being cursed. Only people who are killed by their immediate family wouldn't become a terrifying evil spirit.

"Cornucopia has a price."

Derrick's expression froze.

Murdering his parents left a wound that could never heal in his heart. He had always blamed the corresponding curse on this land that had been forsaken by the gods. But now, the Chief had told him the truth which was unlike what he imagined. The curse gave them the food they relied on for survival!

The grizzled and exhausted-looking Colin Iliad's eyes glazed over as he seemed to recall killing his father, mother, brother, sister, eldest son, youngest son, daughter, and eldest grandson.

His voice became fleeting.

"Lovia once said that a dying person would not transform into an evil spirit after leaving the City of Silver.

"Back then, I didn't tell her that this was the truth. As the Gift of the Land's range is huge, most people who are about to die are unable to leave the corresponding region in time.

"This is a secret that only the Chief can grasp. I tried my best exploring and fighting, hoping that future generations wouldn't have to suffer such pain."

The Chief of the City of Silver, who was clearly advanced in his years, slowly exhaled. Without giving Derrick a chance to make a promise, he seemed to recall something as he said, "Also, you mustn't fully believe the situation of the Rose Redemption that is recorded in that palace."

Eh? Klein stopped scrutinizing his surroundings as he revealed a slightly lost expression.

Colin Iliad added in a deep voice, "Earth Mother cannot be Giant Queen Omebella.

"Omebella has long died. 'Her' corpse is in the City of Silver, and more precisely, it's the Gift of the Land…"

This… When Klein heard this, his pupils dilated as a chill ran down his spine.

The real Giant Queen had long died in the City of Silver and became a Sealed Artifact. Then, who is the one currently masquerading as Earth Mother?

…

In the kingdom that was covered in moon flowers and night vanilla, the sunset giant's sword struck the heavy, pitch-black sickle and froze in midair.

In the darkness that had been destroyed by the intense battle of the gods, time seemed to come to a halt. Be it the giant wearing tattered armor who was bathing in the dusk, or the humanoid demonic wolf with six arms, "They" seemed to become a part of an oil painting. Everything stood on the spot, maintaining "Their" previous posture.

However, a dark brown wooden cane had stabbed through the back of the sunset giant, piercing through its heart as it frantically drained the life of the deity, dragging "Him" down in an act of returning it to the land, returning to a mother's embrace.

This dark brown wooden staff was held in the hands of the giant-like, voluptuous woman. It formed a deep autumn scene with the withered flowers, grass, and mushrooms.

The sunset giant slowly turned "His" head and looked at the woman who was carrying the baby in one hand. "He" said in pain, "Li—li—th?"

At this moment, the dress-wearing "demonic wolf" with the head of a female human let out a chuckle. The bird-shaped golden accessory in "Her" hand flew out and accurately pierced through the gap of the sunset giant's visor. Then, "She" threw the "Crimson Moon" in "Her" two other hands at the voluptuous woman.

In the next second, a portion of the sunset giant's body collapsed. An orange-red sunset pierced through the serene darkness and landed in the real world.

Some landed on the battlefield, causing countless soldiers to die. Some crushed the mountains, creating a lake that made all living creatures age. Some fused with some lucky creatures, turning them into crazy and powerful monsters, while others enveloped the Great Twilight Hall outside St. Millom. The solidified orange light was extinguished…

In the Amantha mountain range, outside the Cathedral of Serenity, Abomination Suah and other Mythical Creatures, who were helping Feysac and Intis angels attack, seemed to sense something. The battle came to a halt.

After the bloodshot eyes growing on the pitch-black tree rolled once, Abomination Suah immediately entered the void and escaped into the spirit world.

In the outskirts of Backlund, in a small cathedral that no one paid attention to.

A golden-bearded pious priest wearing a simple white robe opened his eyes. They revealed a childlike innocence and purity.

"He" calmly took out a golden potion and opened the lid, pouring the liquid inside into "His" mouth.

…

The war ended just like that.

If Audrey hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she never would've believed that the war would end just like that.

After the dark night swallowed the orange dusk and faded away by itself, the Silver Knight in front of her seemed to suffer a heavy mental blow. Even after recovering and composing himself, he didn't continue attacking his enemy. He fled in a rather sorry and perplexed state.

Just like this Silver Knight, the angels and saints of the Feysac and Intis allied forces fled one after another. As for the Beyonders that formed the backbone of the army, they collapsed in an uncontrollable manner.

However, on Loen's side, the demigods, Low- and Mid-Sequence Beyonders, and ordinary soldiers didn't attempt to pursue them. This was because they were equally confused, perplexed, and puzzled.

Audrey walked back into the city and saw the surviving Backlund residents coming out of their houses, shelters, or hiding spots, one after another. They stared blankly at the scene which resembled a primeval forest.

They didn't cheer, shout, or vent their emotions. Their expressions were numb, and their eyes were vacant. They didn't know how and why the disaster had suddenly ended.

There was no lack of people who had once been saved by the charity foundation. Many of them looked familiar to Audrey, but their condition wasn't much different from when those who queued up to collect food.

Audrey silently observed this scene before returning to Empress Borough and back to her villa.

She saw her father, mother, elder brother, butler, servants looking out of the window in confusion, just like the citizens on the street.

For some reason, a sentence suddenly flashed across Audrey's mind:

Dying, he knew not his executor; surviving, he knew not the circumstances.

…

An orange dusk calmed the lightning storm that blazed with frequent bolts of lightning. It sank into the dark, blue sea with an indiscernible bottom, nearly swallowing the Dawn with it.

Queen Mystic had used her other Grade 0 Sealed Artifact in time, allowing the ship to avoid a terrifying disaster.

She frowned slightly as if she had sensed something. However, her expression eased up immediately, allowing the Dawn to continue moving forward on an unsafe sea route. It was to engage in all kinds of dangerous battles with strong winds, huge waves, lightning, and sea monsters.

In the dark environment, Bernadette's gaze seemed to penetrate through many obstacles, allowing her to see the light that she was chasing after.

No matter how many obstacles she faced, she would not stop her approach.

…

On the staircase in the Giant King's residence which was covered in orange light.

After telling Derrick the secret, Colin Iliad said to Derrick, "Go. Open that door. I want to see what the sunlight outside is like…"

"Yes!" The rims of Derrick's eyes reddened once again. He pursed his lips tightly and stood up.

He put down the hammer in his hand, and under the encouraging gaze of Klein, he steadily circled around the iron-black throne and arrived in front of the grayish-blue door which depicted the sunset.

Derrick stared at it for a second, bent down, stretched out his hands, and pressed them against the sides of the door.

Then, he strained his muscles and pushed hard.

At that moment, he seemed to see his parents; his deceased teammates, like Joshua and Antiona; Lovia in a purple-patterned black robe; and the grizzled Colin Iliad.

They stood beside him and pressed their hands against the door, pushing the grayish-blue door with him.

Beads of water streamed down Derrick's face as a heavy creaking sound echoed in his ears.

A crack appeared, letting golden sunlight flood in.

The gap grew bigger and bigger, and a golden sea gradually appeared in Derrick's eyes, presenting itself in front of Colin Iliad's eyes.

Upon seeing this scene, the corners of Colin Iliad's lips twitched slightly as he bathed in the warm sunlight. The corners of his lips pulled up slightly as he revealed a faint smile and a faint yearning, his body "evaporating" bit by bit.

Light was the meaning to everything.

(End of the Sixth Volume—Lightseeker)