136 COI

Retia was a quiet, taciturn person who made The Hermit feel like there was something strange about her as a warlock, though she had never explicitly said so, and Cattleya believed She had already become an Angel.

And in the intelligence Cattleya had obtained in advance, the current high-level members of the Moses Ascetic Order guarding Avalon were only Torriope and two other Pillars who had been doing research there for years, so Retia should have already left.

Unexpectedly, She appeared again.

She was on the dark side of Avalon.

Except for when there were real matters that needed to be handled, every time She said She was leaving Avalon, She was actually just taking a detour and entering the dark side? Was She guarding against something, or doing some secret thing? Queen of Stars Cattleya was surprised but not panicked.

Retia being at the Moses Ascetic Order's headquarters was a good thing, so she wouldn't have to go looking for Her everywhere to eliminate Her!

At this time, Retia in a loose robe with wavy wine-red hair stood on top of a broken giant stone pillar, looking towards the traitor foretold in the prophecy, Her voice echoing in the current area, "I see you turning into a swan…"

As she spoke, Retia's body rapidly expanded, the loose black robe quickly tearing apart, transforming into a mass of cloth fragments that drifted down below the stone pillar.

In the blink of an eye, this Vice Chairman of the Moses Ascetic Order had Her neck elongated, covered in magenta scales, Her entire body the same.

She was now five or six meters tall, her tailbone extending and becoming very long, filled with joints and barbs.

Retia had actually transformed into a giant dragon, powerful and exuding an evil beauty, Her head still human-like in the magenta color.

Her amber vertical pupils immediately locked onto The Hermit Cattleya.

The Sequence 2 of the Mystery Pryer pathway was called Sage, with the core ability being the mastery and utilization of information, including but not limited to the informatization of one's own self.

In such a situation, if one had enough self-understanding, without disrupting the overall information balance, one could add appropriate, non-conflicting, and already fully grasped mysticism knowledge in the form of information into the corresponding information flow, and delete the unnecessary parts, thereby completing the transformation of one's own body and the fixation and acceleration of certain spells.

Retia chose to gradually transform Herself into a giant dragon at the information level, in order to gain a huge boost in physical strength and vitality.

For this, She spent hundreds of years researching the remains of various dragons, and was also known as a "Dragon Scholar" within the Moses Ascetic Order.

Queen of Stars Cattleya originally thought this title meant Retia's research on the dragons was very in-depth, making Her a true expert in the field, until Queen Mystic also became a Sage did they guess there was another layer of meaning: A scholar like a dragon!

Immediately, countless cold, eyelashless eyes opened in the cracks between Retia's magenta scales.

The Mythical Creature form of the Mystery Pryer pathway!

At the same time, countless fragments flashed in The Hermit Cattleya's mind.

There was the warning from Queen Mystic when she chose the "Mystery Pryer pathway on the Dawn; the constant pursuit of knowledge and the repeated indoctrination of the Hidden Sage; the painful episodes of almost losing control several times; the protection provided by Mr. Fool; the ostracism and suspicion she had suffered since becoming one of the Pillars; and all the scenes of evil and corruption she had seen along the way into the dark side…

All of this is finally about to come to an end… With a sigh, Cattleya's back arched slightly, and pure white illusory feathers sprouted.

Fairytale magic, Ugly Duckling!

Even an ugly duckling could transform into a swan!

A Sequence 3 could also manifest an incomplete Mythical Creature form, supporting it for a short time under the impact of an Angel!

As these swan feathers grew out, cracks also appeared on Cattleya's surface, with blood and flesh congealing in each crack to form stark black and white eyeballs.

These eyeballs swept around, meeting the countless eyes on the magenta dragon's body.

Ma'am Hermit and the draconized Retia both became somewhat ethereal, one seeming to have become an abstract black shadow, the other's body dimming, no longer exuding an evil beauty.

…

Although Lumian had Teleportation, considering the many dangers lurking in the dark side of Avalon, he didn't dare make a direct advance like Madam Magician, but Blinked in stages instead.

After three or four jumps, he arrived at what seemed like a palace rooftop.

It was paved with large slabs of water-black stone, surrounded by walls and towers, the night sky above dark and deep, with clusters of dazzling stars dotting it, blinking on and off as if countless unknown existences were watching this area, those stars being their eyes.

A tall, thin man dressed as a warlock stood at the top of the nearest tower, carefully cradling a long-necked silver flask.

The surface of the flask was covered in dense bumps, each with a deep crack, within which countless black and white eyes slowly rotated.

This was an unnumbered Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, because it was not from the orthodox churches, and sometimes it was an Angel, sometimes a Sealed Artifact, its form unable to be fixed.

It originated from a founding member of the Moses Ascetic Order, that angel's bizarre and uncontrolled death leaving behind this sealed artifact, and in the long years that followed, three of the Order's saints had successively used this artifact to become angels, but ultimately all went mad and died or became monsters within three hundred years, bringing great disaster to the Moses Ascetic Order.

In the last thousand years, no one had dared to use this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact to advance, and thus it has earned a name: "Destined Madness"!

As a long-standing secret organization, the Moses Ascetic Order was at its peak, possessing six Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts besides Angels. Later, some were lost in internal strife, some were offered to the Hidden Sage, and some became the foundation of Angels. Now, only three remained, and Destined Madness was one of them.

The warlock holding this cursed flask was Seids, one of the Pillars, who had been stationed in Avalon for years, researching mysticism knowledge.

As a Sequence 3 Clairvoyant of the Mystery Pryer pathway, he chose Destined Madness over the other two Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts because, for him, the current negative effects were still bearable, and he could endure for some time.

The countless eyes on the slender silver flask brought with them a flood of illusions.

They were diverse fragments of knowledge, some turning into human shapes, eyes bursting, clutching their chests, or heads exploding; some resembling writhing masses of snakes, slick and repulsive; some grotesque and indescribable, all racing madly toward Lumian.

Knowledge was in pursuit!

A swath of gray-white surged before Lumian, rolling forward like waves toward the embodied knowledge.

Wherever the gray-white wave passed, the stone slabs grew denser, and even the air thickened.

When the petrifying force met the knowledge entities, those apparitions donned a gray-white veil.

However, in the next second, knowledge of "stone," "rigidity," "slowness," and "lifelessness" seeped into the apparitions, becoming part of them.

The knowledge pursuing Lumian didn't stop; they merely transformed into heavy yet swift knowledge statues.

…

On the azure sea thick with gray fog.

Because the area was so disorienting, Franca couldn't use conventional methods to contact Ma'am Hermit. She had to resort to praying to Mr. Fool to inform that Major Arcana card holder that they could start their operation.

After she finished, Mr. Hanged Man began advising Professor, Periodic Table, and Prototype,

"Next, you may experience some hallucinations, see some illusions, but under no circumstances should you believe them, or the harm will extend beyond you to your companions as well.

"Even if you see me turn into a monster, or see a nearby companion attack you, you must neither evade nor retaliate—trust that it's all false.

"Of course, it might not even be that intense."

Professor and the others exchanged glances, eventually choosing to trust the experienced, powerful captain. Besides, Hidden Blade was there too.

Then, the Blue Avenger continued deeper into the sea along the murky course.

After a moment, Professor sensed an unnatural silence around her.

Though it was a ghost ship with few people on board, it had never been so silent that not a single sound, save for the waves, could be heard.

Professor looked slowly toward the captain, Hidden Blade, and the distant sailors, only to see them moving in jerky slow motion, as if controlled by strings.

Professor was startled and instinctively looked at Periodic Table and Prototype.

Both members of the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society were smirking, identical chilling grins on their faces.

Their smiles matched in every detail.

Shuddering, Professor remembered the captain's warning and quickly shut her eyes, repeating silently,

It's not real, it's all fake…

At that moment, it seemed as though tentacles were reaching out from the water, the slick sensation drawing closer and closer, while Professor's thoughts grew sluggish and even a bit muddled.

It's not real, it's all fake… she muttered to herself, braving her terror.

It was unclear how much time passed before all abnormalities abruptly vanished as though they had never been there.

Professor opened her eyes and saw that the captain was back to normal. Both Hidden Blade and the others—Periodic Table and Prototype—wore expressions tinged with confusion and fear.

Professor and the others were about to ask questions when they all furrowed their brows simultaneously.

They felt knowledge pursuing them, surging from the dense gray-white fog!

Of course, it wasn't as extreme as the Hidden Sage's indoctrination, more like a manageable pressure.

Mr. Hanged Man saw this and quickly said to Franca, "We've reached the target area."

Franca nodded, pulling out several pieces of yellow paper etched with intricate patterns from the Traveler's Bag.

-x-X-x-

Petrification did nothing to stop the advancing knowledge; instead, petrification became a part of them, and they surged forward toward Lumian like an army of puppets.

At that moment, a strange thought crossed Lumian's mind.

If I were in Morora, could I use the authority of 0-01 to turn these knowledge statues into my soldiers and then redirect their assault on Seids, the Moses Ascetic Order's brass holding the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact?

Unfortunately, there was no "if."

The knowledge statues collided with Lumian, producing a cracking sound.

Lumian had activated his Mirror Substitution in advance.

In the next instant, he used Teleportation, outlining his figure mid-air, positioned behind Seids and slightly above the tower.

Despite his fear of the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, it was being wielded by a person, not the artifact itself wielding the person. This naturally left vulnerabilities to exploit.

For example, Seids' body was blocking the dense bumps and stark black-and-white eyes on the surface of the silver flask, obscuring his view of what was behind him.

Lumian's lake-like eyes quickly locked onto Seids' back, preparing to cast a curse.

Just then, the back of Seids' head, uncovered by a hood, began to writhe with flesh. Black-and-white, emotionless eyes sprouted from the dark gray hair.

The Saint seemed to become one with the silver flask, an extension of its power.

Pop! Pop! Pop! Black-and-white eyes spread across Seids' back, his hair parting and clothes tearing as they all turned to gaze at Lumian.

Lumian froze.

Sequence names and fragments of relevant knowledge surged into his mind all at once: Mystery Pryer, Melee Scholar, Warlock, Scrolls Professor, Constellations Master, Mysticologist, Clairvoyant, Sage, Knowledge Emperor, Hermit, Savant Archaeologist, Black Knight, The Hanged Man, White Angel, The Sun, and more.

It wasn't enough to overwhelm his mind and spirit, but it did disrupt his thoughts, making them sluggish and chaotic.

The knowledge even vaguely coalesced into a scene with an ancient, worn stone slate.

Lumian's consciousness grew foggy.

Simultaneously, from within the silver flask, covered with eyes and bumps, streams of blazing, golden, pure sunlight poured forth.

They illuminated the palace rooftop area, lifting a miniature, fiercely burning sun.

That "sun" expanded rapidly, purifying and igniting everything around it.

Mystical Re-enactment!

Lumian, riddled with countless issues, was immediately engulfed in searing pain, as though his skin were forcibly peeled away to expose raw flesh beneath. The lingering aura of the Blood Emperor in his palm, the Underworld Daoist's seal, and the black pinhole all activated in response, flaring into prominence.

This brought a sliver of clarity amidst the fog of confusion.

Crack!

He used Mirror Substitution again. As shards of glass fell toward the base of the tower, he shifted positions, appearing at the edge of the palace rooftop.

That led deeper into the dark side of Avalon.

But sunlight was everywhere, leaving no shadows behind. Lumian abruptly ignited, golden flames bursting from him.

His body began to melt.

A sudden chill struck him from behind as if a ghostly, sticky shadow clung to his back, coiling around him in layers, trying to invade.

How could there still be shadows in such blazing, pure, holy sunlight? Where is the absence of darkness? What sort of spell is this—both holy and sinister… Lumian, though resilient to flames, feared the purifying force.

He activated the black mark on his right shoulder without hesitation.

Teleport!

He disappeared from his position, instantly reappearing in the next area.

His mission was not to kill or stall Seids or seize the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. Witnessing the terror of such an artifact, he knew there was no point in lingering—it would only interfere with his main objective.

The reason he had fought Seids earlier was due to his reluctance to advance too quickly, fearing he might stumble into an Angel's battleground, which was likely even more dangerous than staying here. It was better to see if he could handle an opponent wielding a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.

As he emerged in the next area, he quickly used Mirror Substitution again, leaving the golden flames and chilling shadow to the mirror image.

Glancing back, he saw the golden flames indeed melting the mirror, within which a patch of deep black writhed and struggled.

Both vanished simultaneously.

In the palace rooftop-like area, Seids' entire form seemed amiss; the mass of black-and-white eyes on his back did not retract quickly.

He strained to pursue the Demoness of Unaging holding Destined Madness.

Suddenly, from the entrance of the dark side of Avalon, a thick mist of pale steam flowed into the area, coalescing mid-air into a figure.

This figure was clad in a monk's gray robe, wearing an apron like that of ancient stonemasons, with chestnut hair, blue eyes, a handsome, youthful face, and a tall, slender build.

…

Under the influence of various spells, broken stone pillars were either completely shattered, collapsed entirely, sprouted eyes, or became a part of knowledge, bearing no resemblance to their original form.

Using the Ugly Duckling magic to reveal an incomplete Mythical Creature form, The Hermit Cattleya was held in a crushing grip by Retia, now a magenta dragon.

Her attacks, her magic, all became ineffective once absorbed into Retia's informatized body.

Ten seconds had passed, and the effects of the Ugly Duckling magic were nearing their end.

Cattleya, unwavering and resolute, prepared to cast Ugly Duckling for the second and final time, according to plan.

Only by relying on the incomplete Mythical Creature form could she hold her ground against Retia!

At that moment, streams of transparent, intangible information cascaded into the area, reforming into the figure of Queen Mystic Bernadette, with chestnut hair, straight brows, and eyes as deep as the ocean.

…

In a boundless wilderness, translucent, ethereal information coalesced into the figure of Torriope, Chairman of the Moses Ascetic Order.

He had evaded Madam Magician's first round of multi-directional attacks using informatization to dodge from various directions with diverse abilities.

Now reformed, Torriope still wore his hood, but his upper body was bare.

His torso no longer appeared human, resembling a fusion of five or six things:

There was a menacing wolf's head with black fur, a blazing throne of fire, a pale face with strange eyes, a writhing mass of maggots, and multiple asymmetrical black symbols…

These were the Mystical Re-enactment spells Torriope had added to His information body over the years, making them truly a part of Him.

In this form, the corresponding magic would immediately trigger and strike any target.

As for the Loss of Control Gaze spell, Torriope deemed it too dangerous and hadn't fully deciphered its secrets. He feared adding it would destabilize the overall information structure, resulting in a loss of control.

Clang!

Just as Torriope completed His reformation, preparing to unleash numerous spells simultaneously, an ancient, ethereal chime echoed, and he glimpsed a massive, weathered bell in shades of blackish-green and gray-white.

For an instant, He was dazed, but then He quickly cast the five or six spells all at once.

They missed every target and had no impact on any life form.

Madam Magician had vanished from the wilderness.

A pulse of information flickered in the corner of Torriope's brow.

His emotions became slightly unstable.

He knew his enemy would be back any moment!

Striking, but never hitting; fleeing, but never escaping!

Then, Torriope saw the ground deep within the wilderness silently cave in.

A vast pit opened, leading to a hazy, misty, obscure place.

Torriope's spirits lifted again, His mood brightening.

The great Hidden Sage had finally responded!

That hazy, foggy area was actually a hidden escape route, granted by the Hidden Sage when Torriope had established Avalon.

Once He escaped through there, His enemies would be unable to track or locate Him.

Based on the Hidden Sage's namesake, He naturally wielded powers of concealment!

That was also why He was still alive from the Fourth Epoch to the present.

Joyfully, Torriope dissolved into a flood of information again, rushing toward the large, collapsed pit.

Madam Magician reappeared in the skies above the wilderness.

…

On the Blue Avenger, Franca handed out three pieces of yellow paper, covered with fine patterns, tiny writing, and strange symbols, to Professor, Periodic Table, and Prototype.

"Burn them by rubbing them with your spirituality," Franca instructed solemnly.

Taking the yellow paper, Prototype quickly glanced over it, noting a resemblance to, yet significant difference from, the entries in Roselle's Diary.

He faintly discerned two characters: "Celestial Master."

Wh— Professor and the others hesitated for a second before setting their yellow papers aflame.

The blue smoke from the burning paper didn't dissipate but instead coalesced into a column, rising into the gray-white mist above.

In the next second, Professor and the others seemed to see a wilderness filled with countless figures wandering and screaming. The knowledge pursuing them surged, becoming fiercer.

They once again experienced the intense agony of the Hidden Sage's relentless indoctrination.

Then, a hazy silhouette began to emerge before them.

The figure sat cross-legged, his face as smooth as jade, dressed in a blue robe with a high crown atop his head.

He held something known as a "whisk."

…

In an unknown, mysterious realm.

A light composed of complex information concealed itself and the surrounding area.

It was none other than the Hidden Sage, who had foreseen the danger.

Suddenly, He trembled violently, His form twisting like a massive serpent pierced by an unseen force.

He had predicted the danger, but He hadn't foreseen that it would come from the wilderness!

Enduring the pain, He attempted to sever the connection, hoping to conceal this part of His information.

At that moment, a figure clad in a black trench coat followed the trace of the connection, descending from above and landing in front of Him, at the edge of the unknown land.

The figure used his right hand, gloved in black, to press down on the half-height silk top hat atop his head, gradually straightening his posture.

-x-X-x-

The Hidden Sage felt He must respond, but He couldn't decide which plan to choose.

Should He quickly repel the invading enemy, or destroy this unknown realm of His creation to create chaos, escape detection, and hide once again?

He had never hesitated like this before, unable to make a decision, as if affected by some Beyonder power.

Then, He heard the "clang" of a bell.

It seemed to come from ancient times, crossing vast ages.

A weathered, mottled clock's phantom appeared, and a black-gloved left hand held the hands of the clock that had been ticking between gray-white and blue-black.

In this moment of stillness, The Fool raised his right palm, thrusting forward his firmly gripped cane.

The cane, inlaid with countless stardust, caused the void to collapse layer by layer where it passed, surging toward the Hidden Sage.

…

As The Fool's cane thrust forward, in the astral world full of various concepts, distorted abstractions, and chaos, a hazy light began to glow, as if about to bring scenes of profound, magnificent scrolls down to the unknown realm where that battle was taking place.

Just then, in the high skies of daylight, the crimson moon suddenly became prominent.

It grew brighter and rounder, its color deepening until it seemed stained with fresh blood.

The Blood Moon descended.

The Blood Moon's crimson light shone upon the invisible barrier in the astral world, illuminating all the distorted concepts here, preventing any deity from escaping, and making that hazy clear light afraid to fall to its intended destination.

…

On the wilderness, Torriope, who was rushing toward the misty, hazy place in the form of an information flood, suddenly discovered that the remaining few dozen meters had become winding and tortuous, twisting back and forth, as if one had to navigate a maze to reach the destination.

Outside the maze lay ethereal darkness filled with brilliant stars, without any paths. Once entered, one would likely become lost immediately, unable to find an exit, let alone reach the intended destination.

This was the control over journey and space wielded by High-Sequence Beyonders of the Door pathway.

Though there must be a door and a destination, They could set the exit at the farthest point and turn the journey between into a maze that couldn't be quickly traversed.

This was also a kind of seal, a seal with time constraints.

After restricting Torriope's movement, Madam Magician, floating in mid-air wearing her silver-starred black robe, suddenly split into nine.

Behind each figure, differently colored planets hazily appeared.

A terrifying, immense gravitational force emanated from these nine figures, instantly tearing apart the maze that had trapped Torriope, seeming to slow the flow of time itself, causing the light in this area to flow toward different ethereal planets, unable to shine along its intended path.

Torriope, who had just reformed His body and planned to immediately release multiple spells using previously added information to force back the enemy again, felt nine invisible hands grab different parts of His body—His head, neck, left ribs, right leg, and other places—pulling madly outward.

He was about to be dismembered.

He had no choice but to informatize again, becoming an ethereal, transparent, complex flood.

This information flood was also being torn apart, pulled outward stream by stream, but the main structure remained undamaged.

When Lumian teleported into this wilderness, he saw the scene of nine Madam Magicians surrounding an area ravaged by a space-time storm.

All nine figures were flickering, constantly switching between false and real at a speed that made them indistinguishable from each other.

Seeing this, Lumian unhesitatingly took out the phone manufactured by the God of Steam and Machinery and tossed it into the air.

The nine figures suddenly merged into one, no longer flickering.

Madam Magician's fixed position was exactly where Lumian had thrown the phone.

She caught the phone with one hand and skillfully opened the corresponding mini-program.

At this moment, from within the space-time storm being torn apart, from that danger-filled dark area, streams of ethereal, transparent information surged forth, reforming into Torriope's figure.

He was only wounded; the overall structure of His information flow hadn't collapsed or been compressed under the terrifying gravitational force.

Compared to before, Torriope seemed slightly shorter, the fierce wolf's head that should have been on His right chest had moved to near His neck, both hands appeared at His navel, and His legs were of uneven length.

These were all caused by information misalignment, but the overall balance remained.

Madam Magician's figure vanished again from mid-air, and seeing this, Lumian quietly retreated from the edge of the wilderness.

Having achieved his wish, Torriope immediately transformed into a complex, transparent information flood, rushing toward the collapsed pit just dozens of meters away, toward that misty, hazy place.

In an instant, He again saw the "path" become twisted, full of misleading directions.

He was trapped in the "maze" again.

Madam Magician had returned once again!

Just then, Torriope's information flood within the "maze" instantly dispersed, quickly vanishing.

This was False Information—False Information that Torriope had specially prepared for the enemy!

Meanwhile, His concealed true information had quietly reached the entrance of the secret passage, still rushing toward that haziness in the form of an ethereal, transparent flood.

Madam Magician, wearing her silver-starred black robe, suddenly Blinked to the edge of the exit, Blinking right in front of Torriope.

Torriope had anticipated this, and His information flood immediately dispersed into multiple intertwining streams, preparing to bypass the enemy from above her head, both sides, and below her feet to enter the exit.

During this process, even if some parts were intercepted, as long as the overall structure and balance remained, Torriope wouldn't die. At worst, He would be missing limbs and some spells after reforming, which could be researched and added back later.

Seeing the streams of transparent information about to scatter and escape, Madam Magician raised the phone in her palm and pressed the activation button for the Information Shredder.

The previously lit phone screen suddenly grew dark, as if all light had been absorbed into the running mini-program.

This emitted an overwhelming, terrifying gravitational force, specifically targeting information.

The streams of information Torriope had broken into uncontrollably changed their destination, rushing toward the dark phone screen.

Madam Magician's face and back of her hands also showed signs of writhing flesh.

Essentially, these were also a form of information, as were the surrounding wilderness and the haziness behind.

However, they existed in a very stable physical form, effectively resisting the overwhelming gravitational force emanating from within the phone screen.

As stream after stream of information entered Madam Magician's phone, a scream suddenly erupted from the depths of the dark screen.

The scream was extremely panicked, extremely terrified, as if encountering a nemesis, encountering the most terrifying thing in the world!

The scream was also information.

The scream abruptly ceased.

After all of Torriope's dispersed information had entered the Information Shredder, the phone screen quickly regained its brightness, and one after another, "crystals" formed from seemingly transparent information were spat out, like a monster spitting out bones after devouring humans.

This was the Beyonder characteristic of a Sequence 2 Sage of the Mystery Pryer pathway.

An Angel had perished.

Seeing all the "crystals" had been spat out, Madam Magician threw the phone back to Lumian, who had re-entered the wilderness.

"Hurry," she urged, then disappeared from her spot.

She planned to Teleport back, change her robe, then return to help.

This would only take a second or two, as she wore two layers of robes and only needed to remove the outer one.

Lumian caught the phone imbued with the God of Steam and Machinery's divine power and latest research results, and immediately activated the Teleport mark on his right shoulder.

His destination was deep in the wilderness, at the entrance to the secret passage filled with haziness.

…

In the library with its messy shelves but numerous books.

Ohayes, another of the Ten Pillars guarding Avalon, had just come from where the mystical items were sealed.

He held a mask that seemed forged from black gold.

The mask was asymmetrical from left to right, and not even in a regular pattern of one side being smaller than the other, but rather chaotic:

The left eye socket was large and hollow, the right small, the left nasal bridge collapsed, the right prominent, the left cheekbone protruding, the right drooping downward, the whole giving an indescribable sense of madness and majesty.

This was one of the three Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts currently possessed by the Moses Ascetic Order, obtained during the chaos of the War of Four Emperors and named Solomon's Mask.

Ohayes had chosen it from among the remaining two Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, preparing to go support Vice Chairman Retia or his peer, Seids.

Unfortunately, there were only three demigods currently guarding Avalon—the three of them plus Chairman Torriope—and they couldn't even find another Saint to use the last Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.

The negative effects of that Sealed Artifact were too lethal for any Beyonder without godhood to bear.

I can only hope the Chairman or Vice Chairman can return to take the Post-Apocalyptic Scripture, then either repel the invaders or lead everyone in escape… Ohayes looked back at the sealed location, praying that the mid-sequence warlocks in the dark side would find their way here.

With Solomon's Mask, he could no longer use those Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts!

And if these Sealed Artifacts couldn't be put to use, the Moses Ascetic Order's chances of victory would decrease further, and if they had to retreat later, they would have to abandon them, suffering heavy losses.

At this crucial moment, regardless of whether one was Sequence 5 or not, those who could use Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts should quickly take control of them, making them easier to take away!

Glancing at the asymmetrical black gold mask, Ohayes gritted his teeth and put it on his face.

The black gold mask suddenly writhed, as if trying to merge with his flesh.

Ohayes let out a muffled groan of pain, his entire body instantly growing much larger.

At this moment, a figure reflected in his eyes.

That figure was barefoot, wearing a simple robe, with a tree bark belt tied around the waist, black hair gently swaying behind.

-x-X-x-

In the sea of grayish-white fog all around, Professor, Periodic Table, and Prototype were either leaning against the ship's railings, their faces flushed and throbbing, or crouching down covering their ears, curled up, or constantly grabbing and pulling their own hair, as if trying to rip off their skulls to relieve the pressure their brains were bearing.

Seeing their reactions, Franca couldn't help but look over at Mr. Hanged Man. "Is there a way to alleviate this situation?"

This was a problem that even a Spectator's Placate could not solve, as it was not mental confusion or an emotional outburst, but simply that their brains could not withstand being flooded with so much knowledge in such a short time, not even able to activate their self-protection mechanisms and pass out.

So Madam Justice had not participated in the actions on the Blue Avenger, nor had she provided corresponding charms. Of course, to bear the power of a demigod, the materials for the charms had more special requirements than before, not something that could be made just by wanting to—unless the power level was deliberately suppressed, making the completed charms only at Sequence 6 or 5 standards.

Mr. Hanged Man thought for a moment and said, "Knock them out, make them lose consciousness."

This Major Arcana card holder added tentatively, "This might help."

"Makes sense." Franca turned her gaze back to Professor and the others, eager to try.

Just then, the condition of Professor and the others eased, the blue veins on their faces no longer protruding, and the hair they pulled out gradually diminished.

Phew… Franca secretly let out a sigh of relief.

After another dozen or so seconds, Professor, Periodic Table, and Prototype gradually recovered to normal, although some still looked rather pale, and some were still slightly trembling.

"No wonder you compared the danger we might encounter to the Hidden Sage forcibly infusing knowledge—it's about the same." Professor sighed, saying in a puzzled tone, "Those knowledge really came alive, rushing towards us as if they would tear us into pieces if we didn't study them earnestly."

This was significantly different from the Hidden Sage's indoctrination, as Professor and the others had actually had a similar experience before, but the corresponding amount was small and did not cause such severe pain.

Prototype glanced at Franca and Mr. Hanged Man, and asked thoughtfully, "Who is the Celestial Master?"

Franca let out a hollow laugh. "I'll tell you later."

She then smiled at Professor and the others. "Your mission is accomplished!"

"Really?"

"We don't have to do it again?"

"Did it succeed?" Professor and the others asked respectively.

They were clearly more relaxed, with a barely disguised joy in their tone.

Franca exchanged a glance with Mr. Hanged Man and said, "Our part is done, but results from the other side remain unknown."

Mr. Hanged Man nodded in agreement, raising his right hand towards the Blue Avenger. "Return to port!"

…

In the dark side of Avalon.

The Hermit Cattleya had left the area with the broken stone pillars, escaping the battle with Dragon Scholar Retia.

She was now in a pitch-black corridor, with light seeping in at the end, leading not to a room, but to an open wilderness.

As she walked, Cattleya couldn't help but look back.

She had actually wanted to stay and help Queen Mystic deal with Retia, but ultimately decided to leave.

This was because, first, she had seen the Queen take out a black crown inlaid with many dark gems; second, she herself was not yet an Angel, and Ugly Duckling could only be used one more time—the brief ten-plus seconds could not turn the tide of battle, and might even affect Queen Mystic's performance.

And third, she had other things to do.

Cattleya turned her gaze forward, continuing to fly through the pitch-black corridor with a faint light at the end.

She felt that the remaining filth of Avalon was hidden in the darkness that could not be illuminated on the sides, the fallen state of the remaining warlocks, the pain of Beyonders of the same sequence being forcibly infused with knowledge by the Hidden Sage, and the last screams of those who had lost control and gone mad.

She too had once experienced similar pain, teetering on the edge of losing control.

Relying on Mr. Fool, she had initially guaranteed her own safety, and her withdrawal from the battle between Queen Mystic and Retia was to ensure that there were no accidents on The Chariot Lumian's side, to ensure that all the Beyonders of the Mystery Pryer pathway were rid of this hidden danger, and never had to worry about knowledge infusion day and night.

Of course, knowledge would still spread to individuals, just not as frequently or terribly.

The Hermit Cattleya flew faster and more resolutely, for there were important matters waiting for her ahead.

Finally, she passed through the light at the end of the corridor and arrived in a boundless wilderness.

At this moment, the crimson moon shone from above, casting a faint blood-red hue over the entire wilderness, but without any substantial effect.

Cattleya looked and saw Mr. Chariot Lumian standing by the sunken pit in the depths of the wilderness, and Madam Magician Fors, now in a purple-black robe.

"Is Torriope dead?" The Hermit Cattleya blurted out.

Madam Magician smiled slightly. "At a true god's own hand and with a restraining 'tool', how could Torriope not die?

"I've sealed all his Beyonder characteristics, and will distribute them according to Mr. Fool's wishes after the operation is over."

As she spoke, the wilderness began to tremble slightly, with soil, weeds, and stones continuously peeling off into the void, though not much.

Avalon was created by Torriope, and now that he was dead, it would naturally wither away.

The Hermit nodded slightly, walking over to Lumian under the not-so-dense crimson moonlight.

She and The Magician stood on the left and right, one in front and one behind, guarding against unexpected occurrences.

…

The crimson full moon hung high in the sky, outshining the sun and making all the continents, oceans, and islands seem to be draped in a faintly sinister red veil.

In the capital of the Rorsted Archipelago, the City of Generosity Bayam, at an outdoor cafe.

Mr. Star Leonard sipped a cup of Fermo coffee with milk and sugar, glancing at the hurrying pedestrians rushing home.

Most people in this world knew that the Blood Moon brought misfortune, a sign of bad things to come!

"Old man, Suah and His brothers have been really patient, not making a move yet, and those Angels secretly serving the Great Mother haven't made a sound either." Mr. Star murmured, setting down his bone coffee cup.

An aged voice then sounded in his ear: "If They really attempt to rescue the Hidden Sage, and really come to destroy the Rorsted Archipelago, then it's not a big problem.

"The fact that there's not a stir means trouble."

Mr. Star immediately understood what the old man meant.

This meant that the existence of the Hidden Sage was no longer of great importance to the evil gods' or the Great Mother's subsequent plans!

This was troubling.

"Didn't the Great Mother also intervene and suppress the orthodox gods?" Mr. Star thought aloud.

"Since the existence of the Hidden Sage would weaken the resistance forces within the barrier and reduce the chances of new gods being born, They should certainly try to save Him, but it's no longer a key issue, something They can choose to do or not do." The aged voice responded simply.

The Star Leonard picked up his coffee again, chuckling. "Indeed, there's a sense that the situation is gradually worsening, that the apocalypse is coming and there's nothing that can be done to change it."

After taking a sip of coffee, this demigod of the Church of Evernight, a Major Arcana card holder, sobered his expression and said in a low voice, "But no matter what, we have to save ourselves.

"No matter what, getting rid of the Hidden Sage is a good thing, and can increase the hope of resisting the apocalypse."

With that, he raised his head, gazing at the sinister crimson moon.

The moonlight seemed to drip with blood.

…

In the mysterious unknown realm.

Compared to before, several mountain peaks had now emerged, a vast sea appeared, and countless crevices formed.

The Hidden Sage's location was also composed of information, and with the Fooling, the information would naturally undergo various changes, creating the current environment.

After nearly twenty seconds of battle, the Hidden Sage, who had still not recovered from the surprise attack, was finally pierced by the star-studded cane.

The ethereal glow of the complex information, like a giant serpent, suddenly collapsed towards the tip of the cane, towards a certain point within.

The dissolved glow crumbled inch by inch, the countless information squeezed together, compressed into a dark spherical ball, and with the withdrawal of the star-studded cane, it exploded outward with a thunderous sound.

The overall structure of the information was thus destroyed.

Stream after stream of information fell and dissipated, and from among them emerged a faint crimson.

These crimsons grew rapidly, about to coalesce together, bringing new life.

With a gesture of The Fool's star-studded cane, the surrounding void bent down, herding all the crimsons together, sealing them within a small ethereal dark sphere.

The ethereal sphere, along with the gathered crimsons, instantly vanished.

However, after the disintegrating information and crimson light completely disappeared, no Beyonder characteristics were extracted, nor did a Uniqueness emerge.

The Fool, in the black coat, suddenly turned his gaze to the other side of the unknown realm, towards the end of the sea.

An ethereal glow resembling a giant serpent suddenly emerged there, then turned into a shadowy mass with countless black and white distinct eyes.

Backup and hidden information!

The Hidden Sage still had more than one such hidden backup information!

The countless distinct black and white eyes spun rapidly, each coalescing into ethereal and complex symbols, flooding The Fool's mind with a terrifying amount of useless knowledge.

-x-X-x-

The figure of The Fool, inundated with countless pieces of knowledge, suddenly froze, his head exploding into a mass of warped maggots.

These maggots rapidly disappeared, leaving behind only a pair of black gloves and a cane inlaid with many star fragments.

Amidst the thin mist that permeated the mountain peaks, another figure descended—once again, The Fool, dressed in a black coat and wearing a half top hat.

The black gloves and star-studded cane immediately returned to his control.

Just now?

That was just a historical projection!

On the black shadow that the Hidden Sage had transformed into, the protruding black and white distinct eyes each rotated, reflecting the figure of The Fool once more.

At this moment, He wanted to escape.

This is not to say that He lacked the courage to destroy His current body and revive using the backup, hidden information from other locations—for a being of such a living Uniqueness, this would not be too painful.

The reason restraining Him from making this choice was:

for the designated backup information to receive the Uniqueness, the Hidden Sage had to, before death, actively choose and activate it Himself, and this activation could potentially be traced and located. As the embodiment of mysticism knowledge, the Hidden Sage naturally knew the specialties of His current enemies, and what role the dark barrier that had sealed off the entire unknown realm and the permeating gray fog within it could play.

If He did not activate it, the Uniqueness would naturally transfer to the nearest backup information, following the proximity principle, and the Hidden Sage had hidden another backup within this unknown realm.

When He had initially made these arrangements, His idea was that if a powerful enemy arrived, He could try to drive them away or outright kill them and claim the spoils by reviving twice, and if the two revivals failed, it would mean He could not win, so He would let Himself be killed the third time and revive from the backup information hidden elsewhere, fully escaping the entanglement.

In other words, the Hidden Sage was not panicked now—after dying twice more, He could truly flee this unknown realm without being tracked, and return to a state of hiding.

His current plan was to try counterattacking, and if that didn't work, just wait to be killed, rather than self-destruct.

Information underwent loss, degradation, errors, and chaos in the process of constant backups—this was a fundamental rule of the entire world, a manifestation of error, decay, and increasing entropy. The more times the overall information was backed up, the higher the probability of problems arising, and the greater the latent chaos. If the Hidden Sage were to revive using the fourth set of information, some hidden errors might emerge, and the enemy before Him symbolized Error.

In this matter, self-destruction would lead to more significant degradation and amplification of chaos in the information, because it started from an internal, self-conscious negation, rather than being killed by others.

In the black and white distinct eyes that reflected The Fool's figure, new ethereal symbols emerged—not complex, just simple numbers.

One was "0", the other "1".

In the cognition of the Moses Ascetic Order, each number had spirituality and its own symbolic meaning.

Of course, numbers did not directly possess power, but they could bring corresponding occult implications.

And one of the Hidden Sage's core abilities was to imbue numbers with power, giving them truly different, somewhat diminished symbolic force compared to the original!

Among them, "0" represented chaos, the unknown, what existed before everything, while "1" represented the beginning, the Oldest One, the Creator who made this world.

The "0" and "1" within those black and white eyes suddenly underwent a change.

They connected end-to-end, rapidly flowing through the transparent tunnel formed by the eye orbs, shifting from "0" to "1", then from "1" back to "0", from non-existence to existence, and then back again.

Accompanying the appearance and flow of these "0" and "1", the unknown realm rapidly became transparent.

Whether it was the realm itself, the shrouding dark barrier, or the diffused gray fog, all were now composed of countless "0" and "1".

They were clusters formed by just these two numbers!

The figure of The Fool also underwent similar changes—crawling over his face, his gloves, were countless small worms, transparent or brilliant or segmented, all woven from intertwined strings of "0" and "1".

Under the Hidden Sage's influence, vast numbers of "1" were turning into "0", and when "0" dominated the majority, this numeric world would completely collapse and disappear into "nothingness", unable to impede the Hidden Sage's escape any longer.

Even The Fool himself would be affected, unable to locate and track in time!

Suddenly, The Fool's figure vanished.

He appeared in the sky filled with digital fog, thrusting the star-studded cane downward from afar.

Silently, the dark barrier confining the unknown realm imploded inward, causing the diffuse gray fog and the unknown realm itself to crumble inch by inch, generating a series of terrifying spatial-temporal storms.

The Fool had proactively plunged this numeric world into destruction.

The raging spatial-temporal storms swept towards the Hidden Sage, the surrounding disintegration and collapse also spreading to this evil god.

The Hidden Sage was not alarmed, but delighted.

This destruction not only caused the last backup information hidden in the unknown realm to be destroyed, allowing Him to truly escape The Fool's pursuit after just one more death, but also lifted the barrier, throwing the situation into chaos—even if He fled directly or activated the corresponding backup information in advance, He wouldn't have to worry about being tracked!

The Hidden Sage, with His countless black and white distinct eyes, let the world's collapse and the spatial-temporal storms' tearing ravage fall upon Himself.

He was immediately reduced to stream after stream of transparent, ethereal information.

This information was tinged with an imperceptible crimson.

Just as the Hidden Sage was about to fade away and revive from the hidden backup information, the left hand of The Fool in the sky—not holding the star-studded cane—suddenly reached forward.

Clang!

The ancient tolling of a bell echoed through the world on the verge of total collapse, and the hands of the massive illusory stone clock were pressed down by the black palm.

The raging dark storms, the collapsing mountains, chasms, and seas—all were frozen, as if turned into a photograph.

In this scene, the only ones still able to move were The Fool and the Hidden Sage, which had already collapsed into multiple streams of information but not yet completely vanished.

Mr. Fool had not included the Hidden Sage within the time-freeze!

The black coat behind him billowed, and the face under the black hat became dim and obscure.

Fooled!

In the wilderness, Lumian, having received the cue, jumped into the fog completely filling the sunken pit with the phone in hand.

This secret passage had long been Grafted to the unknown realm where the Hidden Sage was.

As Lumian's figure appeared within this destruction scene paused in time, the Hidden Sage, fragmented into multiple streams of information and instinctively wanting to flee, suddenly sensed something.

He sensed the presence of a Child of God.

No, that is the aura of the Great Mother!

The Great Mother has come to save me!

The streams of the Hidden Sage's information rushed towards the uncloaked Lumian, whose radiant countenance was now revealed.

Not only did He feel He had been saved, but He also believed there was a chance to turn the tide.

If the Great Mother had personally intervened, what else could not happen?

Lumian raised his right hand, holding the phone displaying a small program screen towards the front.

At this moment, the "freezing" had reached its limit, and the destruction resumed its progress.

The Hidden Sage's information surged even more frantically.

Affected by this evil god's aura, personage, and current state, Lumian's fair, smooth skin began peeling away, with chunks of flesh writhing, about to sprout distinct black and white eyes.

This was both corruption and impact.

Lumian did not flee or abandon the phone, standing still and savoring the physical pain and spiritual ecstasy.

The residual aura of the Blood Emperor, the seal of the Underworld Daoist, and the pitch-black "pinhole" in his palm had all been activated—his mind was descending into chaos, as if he had gained knowledge he should not have.

His mouth curled up, with two distinct black and white eyes.

Looking at the frantically surging transparent information of the Hidden Sage, he smiled brilliantly.

I've come to find you!

I told you, I would come find you!

Piece by piece, the flesh on Lumian's body began falling off, each bearing distinct black and white eyes, but he remained motionless, still firmly gripping the phone made by the God of Steam and Machinery.

Finally, the Hidden Sage's information reached its destination.

Lumian immediately pressed the Information Shredder app's run button.

The phone's surface suddenly turned dark, drawing in the remaining light and the disembodied information around it.

The Hidden Sage abruptly became lucid, but it was too late—the phone had transformed into a massive vortex, sweeping in all the transparent, ethereal information it had fragmented into.

Seeing this, Lumian no longer held back, igniting the corrupted himself with the Fire of Destruction.

Amid the violent burning of the black flames restraining his frenzy and repression, he turned to ash with a brilliant yet horrifying smile.

The real him had died.

The corruption spread to the mirror, and the him in the mirror also died.

Only the dormant mirror, hidden away beforehand by Concealment powers, remained unaffected.

The phone's barrier lit up again, the portion of ethereal glow composed of complex information desperately trying to break free, escaping control.

The Fool, in the black coat and half-high hat, descended in front of the phone and Lumian's Traveler's Bag, with the collapsing and disintegrating unknown realm behind him.

The Hidden Sage cried out in despair and fear, "Spare me! I will pledge loyalty to you!

"Spare me!"

The Fool's voice was coldly incisive yet somewhat gentle.

"You have harmed too many people."

He raised the star-studded cane, pushing the struggling Hidden Sage back into the phone screen.

From the depths of the phone, a chilling sound, like a monster gnawing on human bones, echoed out.

-x-X-x-

The indescribable sound of chewing came from the phone. The Fool raised his head, casting his gaze upwards towards the blood-red moon that was illuminating everything.

The huge, round moon gradually returned to normal, its radiance fading until only a crimson hue remained.

At this moment, the previously dark phone screen lit up again, with countless ethereal and complex pieces of information emerging, weaving into a peculiar, intricate symbol.

This symbol was projected out, carried by the power contained within the Information Shredder hidden in the phone by the God of Steam and Machinery, and it quickly scanned every continent, island, and ocean.

One by one, the backup information hidden by the Hidden Sage was located, the overall structure destroyed, and the information rapidly dissipated.

When the special symbol returned to the phone screen, the Hidden Sage transmitted its final burst of information—a desperate scream.

…

Aboard the Blue Avenger sailing back through the grayish-white fog, Professor, Periodic Table, and Prototype were all startled for a moment.

They exchanged glances, and finally, Professor asked Franca and the Captain, "Did you hear a wail or a scream?"

"No." Franca shook her head.

The Hanged Man also said, "I didn't hear anything."

"We all heard it," Professor's brow furrowed beneath the butterfly mask. "But it was faint, as if it came from far away."

"Yes." Periodic Table and Prototype also indicated they had heard a similar sound.

Franca thought for a moment and then said, "Don't worry about it, hearing strange sounds in these waters is normal. Just ignore it and don't take it seriously."

With that, Franca smiled. "Think on the bright side; maybe it was the scream of the Hidden Sage before His death?"

Uh… Professor and the others looked at each other.

The Hanged Man had a pensive expression and after a few seconds, said, "Maybe that's the case."

Wh— Even Franca was taken aback. Already?

…

The Hidden Sage's wail had pierced the ears of every warlock, alarming the Ten Pillars of the Moses Ascetic Order who were not in Avalon.

They either made prophecies based on it or, through spiritual intuition, discovered that something was amiss and quickly relocated and concealed themselves.

Retia, the Dragon Scholar within Avalon, and Seids and Ohayes, who wielded the Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, were also affected, rapidly falling into a disadvantaged position and subsequently perishing.

The completely destroyed unknown realm had become a rapidly shrinking dark vortex. The Fool, holding Lumian's Traveler's Bag, watched as the floating phone continuously erupted with various luminous fragments.

Spraying and spraying, the phone began expanding, as if about to be ruptured by something.

Bang!

It did explode, and a dull, apathetic, eyelashless ethereal eye was ejected, falling into The Fool's palm.

The scattered phone components, tinged with a faint crimson, wriggled as if about to give birth to new parts.

They were blocked by the suddenly darkened void and retracted inward, quickly converging within the ethereal sphere, dissipating along with it.

The Fool, along with the Beyonder characteristics that had been expelled earlier, also vanished.

…

Lumian felt as if he had slept a long, dreamless sleep, his entire being calm and peaceful within the embrace of darkness.

After an unknown period of time, he finally opened his eyes to find himself in the void and shadowy realm behind the mirror.

He stood up and stepped out of the glass surface, his eyes reflecting the ancient, dilapidated palace used for the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society's gatherings.

Behind him was the giant stone chair, on which sat the "sleeping" mirror he had made for himself, its surface marked with dark red patterns, as if inscribed in fresh blood.

This was a pre-arranged preparation. With Madame Hela's help, he had placed the "sleeping" mirror in the Nation of the Evernight to isolate it from potential corruption.

As for why he didn't choose the area above the gray fog or place the "sleeping" mirror next to The Fool's throne, it was because that would have isolated not only the corruption, but also Lumian's own resurrection.

Unless it was The Fool himself or he responded in time above the gray fog, Lumian's Beyonder characteristics could not be transferred to the area near The Fool's throne, and the consciousness and spirit within the "sleeping" mirror would not be restored.

Moreover, this kind of resurrection required "passing" through the grayish-white fog, and there was a high probability of encountering other forms of corruption, as The Fool was only in the preliminary stages of awakening, not fully awake.

Lumian recalled the previous events, confirming that the Hidden Sage had "voluntarily" entered the effective range of the Information Shredder.

He picked up the large, stone chair-mounted mirror and brought it up to his face.

The mirror, the size of a head, reflected a beautiful face with shallow blue and clear eyes.

Lumian spoke to the mirror, "The Hidden Sage is dead.

"All the warlocks no longer need to worry about being forcibly indoctrinated by Him."

The mirror's gorgeous face broke into a relieved and radiant smile.

After a few seconds, Lumian, as usual, recited the corresponding incantation to leave the ancient, dilapidated palace and return to the luxurious villa.

Jenna, who was responsible for the cleanup, had just returned home and released Ludwig from behind one of her mirrors.

This was a precaution in case Jenna's luck was too poor and she directly encountered the Moses Ascetic Order's Saint holding a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.

Ludwig licked his lips, a little glum.

So much delicious food, and he didn't get to eat any of it!

"Are you two okay?" Franca, who had already returned, asked the two companions with concern.

Lumian chuckled."Whether I'm okay or not doesn't matter, the important thing is that something must have happened to the Hidden Sage."

Jenna took the opportunity to say, "Madam Magician said the spoils will be distributed by Mr. Fool."

She then asked a little anxiously, "But Madam Magician didn't take these from me."

These were the gains from her cleanup of the fallen warlocks.

"I will help you ask Mr. Fool," Lumian then asked, "Have all the warlocks in Avalon been eliminated?"

Jenna shook her head. "I've cleaned up those who have fallen and become evil, and they're still in their period of silence, but I don't know about the hidden aspects of Avalon. I handed them over to Ma'am Hermit, who said she would select a batch to send to the Church of The Fool for reform, and the remaining ones are still on the ship, for her to reform."

With a pleasant mood, Lumian curiously asked, "Have you discovered any secrets in the hidden aspects of Avalon?"

"I don't know." While Jenna shook her head, Lumian suddenly paused.

Then he told Franca and Jenna, "Mr. Fool has called for an emergency meeting."

…

Above the gray fog, within the majestic palace.

Several figures emerged, slightly blurred, on either side of an ancient bronze table.

These were the Major Arcana card holders involved in the hunt for the Hidden Sage.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~" Madam Justice was the first to stand and bow.

Seemingly due to the death of the Hidden Sage, many warlocks had been saved, and her tone was more lively and energetic.

After all the Major Arcana card holders had finished their greetings and reseated themselves, Mr. Fool at the head rapped the edge of the bronze table lightly.

"Dragon Scholar Retia was killed, but she did not fully die. There is a spell related to resurrection and concealment within the Mystical Re-enactment she created.

"However, this is not important, as our main purpose has been achieved."

Hearing Mr. Fool's announcement of the result, Lumian's hanging heart settled.

The Hidden Sage was truly dead, dead beyond death!

At this moment, he was so joyful that he wanted to dance with Franca or Jenna.

The Fool looked at each participant and said in a low voice, "The Uniqueness of the Hidden Sage belongs to the God of Steam and Machinery, the Knowledge Emperor Beyonder characteristics containing Sequence 9 to Sequence 1 will go to Bernadette, including the assistance she provided in the dream. The Church of Evernight will receive the Destined Madness Grade 0 Sealed Artifact and the Beyonder characteristics of Seids, who was corrupted by this Sealed Artifact.

"In addition to these, they also obtained several Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts. The rest are ours."

After hearing Mr. Fool's explanation, Lumian, who had fought against the Destined Madness Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, was suddenly stirred and asked, "Why did the Church of Evernight choose Destined Madness?"

"It conceals a secret that needs to be excavated," Mr. Fool answered Lumian's question in a gentle tone.

He continued, "Our main gains include the Sage Beyonder characteristic from Torriope, the Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts—Solomon's Mask and Post-Apocalyptic Scripture—as well as nine Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts, including two related to Clairvoyant, three related to Mysticologist, one to Manipulator, one to Pallbearer, one to Alchemist, one to Arcane Scholar, and various Mid- and Low-Sequence Beyonder characteristics, as well as some Grade 2 and 3 Sealed Artifacts."

Mr. Fool turned his gaze to The Hermit Cattleya. "This was a continuation of your mission, the result of your previous efforts. You can choose first."

The Hermit Cattleya did not show any false modesty. "Mr. Fool, I want the Sage Beyonder characteristic."

The Fool then looked at Lumian. "Your role was crucial, the key to the complete demise of the Hidden Sage. You can choose second."

Lumian had already decided the answer. "Mr. Fool, I want the potion formula of Weather Warlock."

Whether he had spoils or not actually didn't matter to him.

"This is a bonus," Mr. Fool said calmly. "You can also choose one Grade 0 Sealed Artifact."

Uh… since the deity has said so. Lumian was no longer polite and after thinking for a moment, said, "I choose the Post-Apocalyptic Scripture."

He felt that, according to Ma'am Hermit's previous explanation, the Solomon's Mask must correspond to the Angelic level Beyonder characteristic of the Black Emperor pathway, and the Black Emperor pathway and the Justiciar pathway were neighboring and could be switched. Madam Judgment was also a friend of the Madam Magician.

"The Post-Apocalyptic Scripture is related to the Fate pathway," Mr. Fool simply said, then turned to Madam Magician. "The Solomon's Mask is yours."

Madam Magician was momentarily taken aback. "And you?"

You're the main force, yet you don't keep the Angelic level Beyonder characteristics or the Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts?

Leaning back in his chair, The Fool's voice, amidst its usual warmth, contained a touch of joy and nostalgia.

"I don't need them.

"The death of the Hidden Sage is the result I wanted the most."

-x-X-x-

Hearing Mr. Fool's words, Madam Justice suddenly felt a bit happier.

She felt that Mr. Fool's state had improved a bit.

Madam Magician, upon hearing this, no longer said much, lightly nodding and saying, "I will I defer to your will."

If she were really allowed to choose the spoils, she would also have chosen the Solomon's Mask. The ability of this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact would be a great supplement and enhancement for her, as well as for Madam Judgment, and in the future, it could also become a choice for her transition to the Angelic pathway through the Justiciar pathway.

As for the potion formula of the Sequence 2 Entropy Duke of the Black Emperor pathway, Mr. Fool had it he possessed the Black Emperor card from the Cards of Blasphemy.

The chaos of these years, the spread of the evil gods' faith, the frequent occurrence of various events, have made Xio, the Chaos Hunter, digest her potions quickly, and she is about to complete her advancement to an Angel... Hehe, the High-Sequence Beyonders of the Black Emperor pathway seem to have the trait of body gigantification-same for Nast. It would be very suitable for Xio to switch over to that path... Madam Magician's thoughts gradually drifted away.

Mr. Fool then turned his gaze to The Hanged Man. "And your choice?"

"Esteemed Mr. Fool, I would like the Grade 1 Sealed Artifact formed by the Mysticologist Beyonder characteristic." The Hanged Man had already decided on his choice when Mr. Fool was introducing the spoils.

His ability characteristics and the Sealed Artifacts of the Hunter pathway he had obtained from the Blue Avenger's treasury were already quite overpowering, and he lacked the stealthy means to achieve his goals.

"Alright, Merumu's Spellbook is yours." The Fool turned his gaze to Justice.

Although Justice had not directly participated in the action, she had woven the phone from the dream for Lumian, and was always prepared to provide spiritual and mental healing for the participants in the hunt.

Additionally, she had made a substantial contribution to awakening Mr. Fool in the dream city, and so far had only obtained the revelation related to the ancient dragon.

Madam Justice smiled and said, "Mr. Fool, I want the Grade 1 Sealed Artifact formed by the Manipulator Beyonder characteristic, as I owe someone a favor."

The Fool nodded lightly, then turned to Madam Temperance Sharron.

"Protecting the New City of Silver and the Rorsted Archipelago was also a contribution. You, representing the temperance faction, can take a share of the spoils."

Madam Temperance Sharron, wearing a small, black, soft hat, manifested a piece of paper.

On it wrote: "Grade 1 Sealed Artifact formed by the Mysticologist Beyonder characteristic."

Just as I thought... The Chariot Lumian muttered to himself.

This was based on two reasons:

First, as the representative of the temperance faction. she would certainly feel that her faction's contribution was relatively small, and she should not choose a Sealed Artifact formed from a Sequence 3 Beyonder characteristic-formed. Second, between Mysticologist and Alchemist, the Prisoner pathway Beyonder would most likely choose the former.

Lumian had collaborated with Madam Temperance Sharron and Knight of Swords before, and knew their fighting styles. Alchemist, on the other hand, was known in the Savant pathway for creating wondrous items and alchemy puppets, which did not quite match the style of the temperance faction.

This was not to say they were incompatible in terms of ability-in fact, they complemented each other very well. It was mainly that the aesthetic was not quite in sync, and Lumian could not imagine Madam Temperance Sharron possessing a giant robot, wielding various post-modern weapons, and blowing up enemies with a barrage of gunfire.

"Alright, the Eye of Omniscience will belong to the temperance faction." Mr. Fool nodded lightly.

The last to make a choice was Mr. Star Leonard.

He said in a dazed manner, "Alchemist. I want to make a self-playing piano..."

What kind of wish is this? Is Mr. Star still an artsy youth? Lumian was somewhat puzzled.

Mr. Fool only spoke a few seconds later. "Okay, the Creator's Hammer is yours."

Seeing that all the participating Major Arcana had chosen their spoils, Lumian asked on behalf of Jenna, "Mr. Fool, how will the Mid- and Low-Sequence Beyonder characteristics and mystical items obtained by the Seven of Cups be distributed?"

The voice of The Fool shrouded in the gray fog returned to its previous state.

"The Mysticologist Beyonder characteristic and related materials formed by Ohayes' death will be given to the three warlocks who went into the depths of the Fog Sea. After pulverizing and recomposing them, this will be able to help each of them advance one Sequence." This was a decision made even before the emergency meeting-the Mysticologist Beyonder characteristic formed by Ohayes' death was not on the list of available options just mentioned.

Now, Professor was a Sequence 5 Constellations Master, and Periodic Table and Prototype were Sequence 6 Scrolls Professors.

Mr. Fool continued, "The Mid- and Low-Sequence Beyonder characteristics and mystical items in Seven of Cups's possession will be divided into three parts: one part for her to keep, one part for the Two of Cups, and one part to be handed over to the Church.

"If they wish, they can use one of the two parts they keep to exchange for a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact."

"Yes, Mr. Fool." The Chariot Lumian felt this distribution plan was very good and had no objections.

This not only addressed Jenna's lack of same Sequence items, but also left room for the three Demonesses to develop their followers and spread the faith.

Mr. Fool then turned to Madam Temperance Sharron.

"The remaining items are to be entrusted to the Church for safekeeping and use."

The "Church" mentioned in those words referred to the Church of The Fool.

"Yes, Mr. Fool." Madam Temperance Sharron held up another sheet of paper with writing on it.

As soon as she finished responding, beams of light flew out from the grayish-white fog behind Mr. Fool, each landing in front of the various Major Arcana.

Madam Magician's was an asymmetrical black and gold mask, so extreme in its appearance that it was distressing to look at, yet also possessed a peculiar majesty.

Ma'am Hermit's was a fist-sized, sparkling diamond of sacred and wise light, with dull, apathetic eyes reflected from each of its facets.

Madam Justice's was an object covered in gray wrinkles, resembling both a brain and a heart.

The Hanged Man's was a thin book bound in human skin, with many mysterious patterns and symbols on the cover.

Madam Temperance's was a transparent, pure gemstone eye, with different brilliance flashing from each facet.

Mr. Star's was a complex, gray-and-white metal hammer, seemingly having multiple functions and exuding a mechanical aesthetic.

In addition to the Weather Warlock potion formula in his mind and Ohayes's Mysticologist Beyonder characteristic and related materials in front of him, The Chariot Lumian also received an old, yellowish- brown book.

This book was made of tough, thick sheepskin parchment, with no symbols or words on the surface, only a bit of mercury-colored light fluttering beneath the texture of the paper, sometimes emerging, sometimes receding.

At the same time, information about the Post Apocalyptic Scripture suddenly emerged in Lumian's mind in a form different from the official Sealed Artifact records:

"0: Perhaps an item formed by the Soothsayer of the Fate pathway foreseeing some future event and losing control, or it may come from an even more ancient era.

"1: The external form is an ancient book made of sheepskin parchment, with mercury-colored specks of light and a rough texture.

"2: This book has no text, but will randomly display some prophecies, some of which are true and some are false. If one believes the false prophecies and prepares to avoid or welcome them, they will become real.

"One can use mental intention to write in this book about how different results would occur for certain people or events due to good or bad luck, and they have a high probability of becoming real, even if the final outcome does not match the prophecy, it will be similar.

"If the situation is chaotic, with many choices and only a few paths leading to a good ending, one can open this book, and it will provide a revelation. If this revelation can be correctly interpreted, it will guide the inquirer to the best outcome, otherwise it is extremely dangerous.

"3: If a non-godhood wielder holds this book, they will immediately be plagued by misfortune and die miserably or turn into a monster controlled by the book within an extremely short time.

"If a godhood wielder holds this book, they will suffer misfortune within an hour of using it, the degree of which is randomly determined, but it will not lead to death in a short time.

"This book will randomly select some living beings within a 30-kilometer radius and bestow misfortune upon them.

"This book will intermittently display various prophecies related to the holder, most of which are bad. Some are true, some are false, and if the false ones are believed and acted upon, they will become true.

"4: The method of sealing is to create a space with no living beings, with a radius of at least 30 kilometers, place this book in the center, and press a twenty- sided die on the surface."

Knowing this information about the Post-Apocalyptic Scripture came from Mr. Fool, Lumian calmly considered how he should use this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.

The misfortune after using it can be resolved through a luck enhancement ritual or the exchange of fate fragments, 'gifting' the transferred misfortune to lucky pirates...

As for the intermittent prophecies, I'll just pretend I didn't see them, whether true or false. I've been living just fine without any prophetic abilities before. Hunters and Demonesses should believe more in their own minds and abilities...

Regarding the problem of randomly bestowing large- scale misfortune, I'll need to ask Mr. Fool or Madam Magician for help. Hmm, either deceive the Post- Apocalyptic Scripture into thinking there are no living beings within a 30-kilometer radius, or expand the Traveler's Bag to the size of a city. But then the materials for making the Traveler's Bag would have to be very special and high-grade…

As Lumian was pondering, the Post-Apocalyptic Scripture suddenly flipped a page.

Amid the rustling sound, the book stopped on one page, and a line of mercury-colored text quickly appeared: "In the Year 1368, as July fades to its final days, crimson shall rain from the heavens."

Immediately, the leading numbers changed, the mercury shifting to form new text: "In the Year 1360. as July fades to its final days, crimson shall rain from the heavens."

Wh-Lumian's eyes narrowed.

It was currently the spring of the year 1359!

-x-X-x-

Remembering the information about the Post-Apocalyptic Scripture, Lumian decided to pretend he hadn't seen the current prophecy.

Regardless, he would still have to move forward at his own pace!

Just then, the Post-Apocalyptic Scripture flipped another page, revealing new content: 'I see, Lumian Lee going crazy.'

These mercury-colored words were written in ancient Hermes.

Lumian raised an eyebrow, snapped the ancient leather-bound book shut, and pressed down on it forcefully.

He then looked up towards the head of the bronze long table. 'Mr. Fool, how should I seal the Post-Apocalyptic Scripture? Can you provide assistance?'

Shrouded in the grayish-white fog, Mr. Fool gestured with his hand, and Lumian's Traveler's Bag, which had been left on the battlefield, flew from behind the massive stone chair to its owner.

As Lumian caught it, he found that a vast space had been isolated within the Traveler's Bag, enough to contain an entire city.

In the center of this space sat an ordinary twenty-sided die.

I thought the materials for this Traveler's Bag wouldn't be able to support a city-sized space required to seal the Post-Apocalyptic Scripture, so I'd need to order a custom one… Has Mr. Fool remodeled it? Lumian placed a hand on his chest and bowed slightly. 'Thank you, Mr. Fool.'

When he raised his head, he saw that Ohayes's Beyonder characteristic had been pulverized and recomposed, divided into one Sequence 4 Mysticologist Beyonder characteristic and two Sequence 5 Constellations Master Beyonder characteristics, all neatly sealed.

Seeing this, Ma'am Hermit across from him immediately said, 'I will provide the potion recipes for Mysticologist and Constellations Master.'

Madam Magician sighed and added, 'I will provide a drop of a Mythical Creature blood.'

This is truly a comprehensive service, aiming to help Professor and the others each advance one Sequence… Lumian thanked on behalf of the members of the Curly Baboon Research Society in his mind.

He then pondered the Weather Warlock potion formula that Mr. Fool had just provided:

'Name: Weather Warlock

'Sequence: 2

'Main Ingredients: Skull of a Weather Giant, Core of a Mist Jellyfish

'Supplementary Ingredients: 30 ml of blood each from three deceased individuals who died in different extreme weather conditions, 500 strands of a Weather Giant's hair, five Weather Giant Crystals, a segment of a tree branch struck by lightning, 20 ml of the first snow melt of a region each year.

'Advancement Ritual: Forcefully change the weather of a region without external aid in a very short time.

'Note: After the Fourth Epoch, Weather Giants and Mist Jellyfish no longer exist.'

So Weather Warlocks now exist in the form of Angels or Sealed Artifacts? Lumian wasn't too surprised by this.

Hunter was the pathway of war, so the corresponding mystical creatures or Beyonder species were hard to fully conceal, and were likely to incite conflicts and disasters, making them easily noticed.

Furthermore, after the clashes of the previous four epochs, even if there were still mystical creatures corresponding to Weather Warlocks, they would be true subsidiary gods with complete Beyonder characteristics, in other words, Angels.

Lumian then focused his attention on the ritual.

Without external aid, this ritual is a bit difficult. It would need to be a region the size of the Trier area, relying on the Demoness of Unaging's frost abilities to affect the city of Trier would still take some time, and no one can interfere…

With external aid, it would be very simple…

Could the core of this ritual be about allowing me to master the secrets of weather changes, using a small force to leverage a large-scale change? Like a hurricane at sea, it starts off not that terrifying, just a cyclone, then gradually strengthens, slowly sweeping across a stretch of ocean and one region after another…

I can consider going in that direction, but it doesn't satisfy the 'very short time' condition, so I need to find a way to accelerate it myself?

Heh, time to study again. As they say in the dream city, those who lead wars must know both astronomy and geography…

Actually, there is a shortcut for this ritual. Like the Sequence 3 Sea King in the Sailor pathway, they can completely change the weather of a region. If I kill one of them during a big storm, wouldn't the weather change? That wouldn't involve external aid or anyone's help… Hmm, I can't use items during the battle, or that would count as external aid…

Heh heh, a Hunters' advancement does indeed have a hidden shortcut—hunting, fighting, war…

As The Chariot Lumian was pondering, Mr. Fool answered some questions from Ma'am Hermit and other Major Arcana.

After pondering for a moment, Lumian asked, 'Mr. Fool, why was the Hidden Sage made to come to life by the Great Mother?'

It was not that the Great Mother looked down on the Hidden Sage, but how was this accomplished?

From the mysticism knowledge taught by Madam Magician, during the Fourth Epoch, the world's defenses against the evil gods were still very strong.

Mr. Fool's calm voice replied, 'The problem lies in the Western Continent.'

The Western Continent? Isn't there still a layer of the Celestial Worthy's seals beyond the barrier? Before Lumian could ask the question on his mind, Mr. Fool continued, 'The Hidden Sage's way of addressing that entity is Great Mother, not Her true honorific name.'

What does that mean? Right, with the Hidden Sage's level, He should be qualified to know the Great Mother's full honorific name and not fear deep corruption, so why would He still use an epithet? It can't be that He was afraid of affecting Mr. Fool, right? Lumian felt that Mr. Fool's sentence contained very important information, but he couldn't quite decipher it.

Mr. Fool did not provide any further explanation, simply nodding lightly and saying, 'This gathering shall now conclude.'

'Your will is our will.' The Major Arcana present all stood up at the same time.

…

In Trier, inside that luxurious villa.

Seeing Lumian come downstairs into the living room, Franca asked curiously, 'How did it go?'

Although her main tasks were liaison, persuasion, and protecting key personnel, so her contributions were not too significant, this did not prevent her from being interested in the gains from the divine war and their specific distribution.

Lumian recounted everything he could tell them, and finally asked, 'Do you want to exchange for a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact?'

'Of course we do!' Franca said without hesitation. 'Even if we only keep one-third of those Mid- and Low-Sequence Beyonder characteristics and mystical items, it will be enough for us to develop followers in the Trier region, maintain believers, and even be quite prosperous!'

She didn't dare say 'spread the faith' out loud, because in the Trier region, the Church of The Fool could not actively spread the faith—this area belonged to the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery.

Franca was thinking that afterwards, they would focus on seeking out and striking against hidden cults, developing the salvageable believers to their side, as well as Lumian's and the future Jenna's.

'Which one do you want to exchange for?' Lumian asked, inquiring about his two companions' preferences.

Franca and Jenna exchanged glances.

Jenna considered her words carefully. 'Demonesses are already quite adept in the mystical arts, and choosing the Sealed Artifacts formed by a Mysticologist or Clairvoyant Beyonder characteristic wouldn't be able to fill in gaps or enhance our strengths. As for clairvoyance, we have spiritual intuition, Magic Mirror Divination, and even the Post-Apocalyptic Scripture, so we don't urgently need it.'

'That's right,' Franca agreed. 'If it was a living Mysticologist or Clairvoyant, I could teach them ancient myths and hidden knowledge, and as long as some of it is true, it could help them create powerful fairy tale or mythological magic. But Sealed Artifacts can't listen to me or accept my guidance, the magical effects they produce will be fixed to what they originally had.'

Franca hesitated a bit before continuing, 'Of the remaining two, I'm more inclined towards the Pallbearer.

'The name alone tells me it must have powers in the domain of death, which can make up for Jenna's and my weaknesses—our single-target attacks aren't deadly or explosive enough, aside from curses and Mighty Blow. Plus, as it's from the Planter pathway, it must have healing abilities, which can be used to respond to believers, drive away afflictions. Hmm, with its assistance, the progress of my creating mystical bacterial pathogens will also be greatly accelerated.

'But the problem is, this is an item with godhood from the Planter pathway.'

The Planter pathway was also called the Earth pathway—the Mother pathway.

Franca looked at Lumian. 'Mr. Fool said you need to keep away from the Mother. Didn't you previously tell Lugano to minimize contact with you, and only contact through prayer? Hmm, it's not that you need to keep away, but that calamity needs' to keep away from the Mother. Jenna and I are also on the Calamity pathways.'

Lumian thought for a moment and said, 'Since Mr. Fool didn't say you can't choose this Sealed Artifact, there shouldn't be any major problems…

'In that case, you can petition Mr. Fool, expressing your willingness to exchange one-third of the Mid- and Low-Sequence Beyonder characteristics and mystical items for a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, and directly ask if the Calamity pathway Beyonders can choose the one corresponding to the Pallbearer.'

'If that's not possible, we'll have to choose Arcane Scholar…' Franca's eyes gradually lit up. 'That works too, right? This is a Sequence 3 from the Savant pathway. I can find the Doctor Beyonder characteristic and handcraft a fully automated healing machine to respond to those prayers for curing afflictions, with the mirror responsible for autonomous distribution. Who knows, maybe I'll even be able to drive a Gundam in the future…'

With this settled, Lumian was about to have either Jenna or Franca pray to Mr. Fool, but Franca stood up with a beaming smile.

'Time to distribute the spoils to Professor and the others!'

Happiness shared is greater than happiness alone!

…

Professor and the others had already been brought back to Trier by Franca, and were currently gathered as instructed in a villa with a garden rented by Hela. Their families and the previously assembled Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society warlocks were all here.

Seeing Hidden Blade and the hooded, masked Muggle emerge from the mirror and rest in the living room, Professor, Periodic Table, and Prototype simultaneously stood up. 'When can we go home?'

Before they could finish speaking, they suddenly saw three items floating before Hidden Blade and Muggle.

One was a vague, gem-like orb emanating a gloomy aura, as if a gaze peered out from within to scrutinize everything. The other two were luminous, rather illusory-looking crystal spheres.

Wh— Professor and the others' gazes suddenly froze.