147 COI
Zedus emerged from the eye of Cheek's face and quietly stood behind Lumian, expressionless and vacant-eyed.
After Lumian advanced to Red Priest, Zedus, along with the steel golems and undead soldiers formerly belonging to 0-01, was re-enlisted into the newly formed legion of the Red Priest. They were now stationed in a special mirror world that had become Lumian's divine kingdom.
Seeing the Calamity of Crimson in Lumian's hand, The Sun Derrick hesitated no longer and nodded slightly. "Okay."
"I thought you might have some reluctance," Lumian said casually.
Derrick shook his head and replied honestly, "When you first made the request, I did feel a bit reluctant. But after returning to the New City of Silver, I increasingly felt it was the right decision.
"When the apocalypse arrives, Mr. Fool will undoubtedly be unable to continue protecting the New City of Silver. The Gift of the Land is the remains of Omebella, the Great Mother's most cherished daughter. It could likely spark an anomaly, causing unforeseen consequences and breaking apart the protected zones from within.
"Moreover, Chief Chirmont has long since digested the Silver Knight potion but has yet to advance to an Angel as a Glory. That's because the Proof of Glory has to be used to seal the Gift of the Land. If it were turned into a Beyonder characteristic, anyone using it to advance would have to remain underground for extended periods, only leaving for short intervals during crises.
"Replacing the Gift of the Land with the Calamity of Crimson should free the Proof of Glory from its restraints."
Derrick, having only just become an Angel, still lacked understanding of matters regarding the Above the Sequences.
Lumian produced a mirror and inserted the crystal tiara-shaped Calamity of Crimson into it.
He then gently ran his hand over the mirror's surface.
After completing the task, he handed the mirror to The Sun Derrick.
"Place it in an underground location that moonlight can never reach. No males may be within ten meters. When it needs to be used, a woman must retrieve it.
"I've sealed the area behind the mirror and fixed an entrance to the mirror world on its surface. Even ordinary people can extend their hand inside to retrieve the Calamity of Crimson."
This setup mirrored how Franca had once secured a mirror world entrance in the quarry beneath Trier by praying to the Primordial Demoness.
The Sun Derrick took the mirror and saw in its reflection the terrifying scene of a volcanic eruption.
"Ignore any disasters reflected in the mirror," Lumian cautioned. "If the mirror itself cracks, pray to me or Mr. Fool immediately so we can replace its seal. As for its usage, there are three taboos: First, no male should wield it. Second, the wielder must have godhood. Third, it must not be used for more than three minutes, or if exposed to moonlight, no more than thirty seconds.
"If the wielder experiences Pleasure or Charm cast by it, a new person must take over. Otherwise, the wielder will grow increasingly obsessed with it and try to set it free."
The Sun Derrick nodded solemnly. "I understand."
He then asked a question. "But I'm male. Is it safe for me to handle the Calamity of Crimson?"
"For now, yes," Lumian explained. "It's still in a Conquered state and won't 'acknowledge' anyone else. After placing the mirror underground, avoid further contact with it."
The Sun Derrick let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Alright. I'll head to the Twin Towers now to lift the Proof of Glory's suppression. You can retrieve the Gift of the Land yourself."
After Lumian agreed, the newly ascended Lightseeker turned into sunlight and flew out of the headquarters of the Church of The Fool.
Lumian remained in place, admiring the murals on the walls.
The face of Alista Tudor furrowed slightly, seemingly displeased with the religious undertones-unless, of course, the subject of the murals was Himself.
After some time, Cheek's face on Lumian's left shoulder turned, revealing a stunning smile radiating maternal warmth and terrifying allure.
In the next moment, a massive, withered, ash-brown tree trunk appeared before Lumian.
It had been Charmed-enthralled by Cheek's face, which shared a profound connection with
it.
Two crimson flowers on the trunk, serving as its eyes, bloomed fully, radiantly vibrant. Lumian smiled at the Gift of the Land. "Would you like to reside in my divine kingdom?"
The Gift of the Land moved closer without resistance.
Zedus came forward, embracing the trunk and dragging it back into Lumian's divine kingdom -the destroyed then reformed special mirror world.
Throughout the process, Zedus handled it roughly, yet the Gift of the Land offered no
opposition.
The estranged siblings reunite... Lumian chuckled softly and disappeared from the Church of The Fool's headquarters.
...
In the World of Ruins.
Enormous oak trees stood blanketed in white by a raging blizzard, frozen lifeless. In stark contrast, another oak grove burned fiercely, consumed by invisible, colorless flames. Accompanying the destruction were bird-clawed infants, various animals, and strange familiars, all reduced to ash. Even the ground itself melted away.
At the boundary where blizzard met flames, the clash of cold and heat created a skyward- whirling hurricane and apocalyptic torrential rain.
In the hurricane's eye, a three-headed, six-armed Lumian wandered with frenzied, mindless
eyes.
At the edge of this fog-shrouded region, Franca sat atop a nearly 100-meter-tall gray-white stone pillar, her legs dangling idly.
Having become a Demoness of Catastrophe, she could finally witness Lumian's bouts of uncontrollable madness firsthand.
This was the twenty-ninth time she had observed it, yet it still left her feeling low and stifled.
My potion digested a little more... Franca mused, forcing herself to think of something meaningful to distract from her emotions. Even though I didn't do anything as all these catastrophes were caused by
Lumian...
Is it because I brought him here?
As a Demoness of Catastrophe, I am a bringer of calamity. Does it not matter whether the calamities I
bring are self-made or external?
Right... A Demoness of Catastrophe likely serves catastrophe... Since Lumian is the source and embodiment of catastrophes, does serving him equate to fulfilling that role...?
No wonder my potion is digesting so quickly. At this rate, I'll fully digest it in another year or two. Too
bad we don't have that much time-the one-month deadline is nearly up...
Her thoughts wandered until the blizzard ceased, the formless and colorless flames
extinguished, and the hurricane disintegrated outward, bending distant oaks.
Lumian, now his normal human size, approached the base of the stone pillar, his expression weary yet faintly smiling. "Let's return to the protected zone."
Franca smiled back and leaped gracefully from the 100-meter-high pillar, landing as lightly
as a feather.
At that moment, Lumian's middle head turned sharply, gazing toward another oak grove untouched by the apocalyptic scene.
Franca immediately sensed the crimson moonlight deepening and brightening.
From the depths of the grove emerged a woman dressed in a finely tailored black corset dress
with matching shoulder drape. She wore sheer gloves that hinted at the skin beneath and a
tilted, playful hat.
Around her neck hung a diamond necklace set in gold. Her eyebrows were perfectly shaped, and her scarlet eyes shone like miniatures of the crimson moon.
Franca had never seen
woman so beautiful-not even Cheek's face could compare.
This beauty was pure, sublime, and awe-inspiring, making one want to admire and protect
her but not dare to approach or desecrate. In contrast, Cheek's beauty radiated femininity and allure, stronger in seduction but less divine.
As Franca held her breath, Lumian spoke in a low voice. "Madame Pualis, why have you
appeared here?"
Madame Pualis looked just as she had when Lumian first saw her in Cordu Village.
Madame Pualis... The one who birthed Omebella?! Franca snapped out of her daze, shaken by this
realization.
She lowered her gaze, avoiding direct eye contact, and prepared to assist Lumian with her
abilities.
Madame Pualis smiled faintly. "I've come to see you both and to bid farewell.
"I thought our last meeting would be the final one, but it seems the Great Mother still needs
more time."
"Farewell?" Lumian raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Madame Pualis replied with a gentle smile. "I am returning to the embrace of the
Mother."
"Returning to the embrace of the Mother?" Lumian frowned. "You did all this just for such an
ending?"
In the context of the Great Mother, returning to Her embrace was synonymous with death. Madame Pualis spoke softly, her expression tender.
"It is what I desire. The Mother's embrace is where we came from and where we are destined
to return. There, we find peace, warmth, slumber, and rebirth.
"Life is a journey. I have been, seen, and experienced. Naturally, it's time to return to the
Mother's embrace and await the next journey."
That sounds utterly sinister... Franca murmured to herself.
Lumian suddenly asked, "Are you currently a Sequence 1 Beauty Goddess of the Moon
pathway?"
"Yes, it is a gift from the Great Mother, lent to me temporarily," Madame Pualis said, her
tone full of emotion as she spoke to Lumian and Aurore. "The greatest regret of my journey is
missing you both in Cordu Village.
"Goodbye. We will meet again because all life will eventually return to the Mother's
embrace."
Before her words had fully settled, Cheek's face on Lumian's left shoulder suddenly turned,
Her expression sweet and smiling.
Charm!
A charm from the Demoness true god!
But Lumian was a moment too slow. Madame Pualis's figure dissolved into crimson light,
merging with the omnipresent moonlight, leaving only a fading image of her waving hand.
"What just happened?" Franca asked warily.
Lumian's voice was low as he responded with a question,
"A Sequence 1 Beauty Goddess suddenly choosing to return to the Mother's embrace-what
does that signify?"
Franca was suddenly alarmed. "It means the Mother Goddess of Depravity is about to fully merge with the Brood Hive and requires Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics to support her!" As she finished speaking, the previously devastated region began to sprout a frenzy of vegetation. The scorched ground gave way to rapidly growing flora, all stretching skyward. On the western horizon, the crimson moon, blood-red and ominous, began to rise slowly, laboriously revealing its edge.
-x-X-x-
As Franca watched the crimson moon rise inch by inch, a chill ran down her spine. She felt as if her darkening flaxen-colored hair was growing along with it.
"What now?" She couldn't help but glance at Lumian.
After becoming a Demoness of Catastrophe, she had a vague understanding of Lumian's intended actions-essentially, the plan was this:
With the help of various forces on the Western Continent, Lumian would attempt to become the Origins of Disaster, Calamity of Destruction, before the Mother Goddess of Depravity fully accommodated the Brood Hive. Then, leveraging the symbolic connection between Earth Mother Lilith and Omebella, he would slay this true god to destroy the newly reborn Omebella, thereby provoking the Brood Hive into rebelling against the Mother Goddess of Depravity. Finally, he would seize the opportunity during Their confrontation to heavily wound the Mother Goddess of Depravity, heavily damage the Pillar, and drive Her out of the astral barrier.
Once this plan commenced, every second would count. Earth Mother Lilith's voluntary death would rapidly lead to the fragmentation of the astral barrier. Lumian would have only a fleeting window to wound and banish the Mother Goddess of Depravity before returning to the astral barrier himself to take Earth Mother's place. Failing this, the entire situation would collapse, and the apocalypse would arrive prematurely.
If the plan succeeded, Lumian-now having transcended the Sequences-could sustain the barrier and buy two or three more years. By then, Mr. Fool would fully awaken, lift the seals around the Western Continent, and allow more Great Old One to emerge.
Franca had two major concerns about the plan. First, from Earth Mother Lilith's fall to the shattering of the astral barrier, the time window might be mere seconds. Could Lumian truly injure the Mother Goddess of Depravity, a Pillar? Second, even if Lumian somehow managed this extraordinary feat, could he already precarious in balance and prone to "occasional" bouts of lucidity—remain stable after forcibly accommodating the City of Calamity long enough to maintain the barrier?
Now Franca realized she didn't need to worry anymore.
Because their plan was doomed before it even began!
The Mother Goddess of Depravity was about to fully accommodate the Brood Hive, leaving nothing capable of restraining Her!
At this moment, they could kill Earth Mother Lilith and reignite the Brood Hive's rebellious instincts to buy more time for Lumian to accommodate the City of Calamity. But who would then reinforce the astral barrier and halt the other Outer Deities' invasion?
It was death either way!
Yet Lumian smiled, the corners of his mouth curling upward, as he said to Franca, "There's still a chance. Still a way."
As he spoke, the scenery around them shifted from wildly growing trees and weeds to the villa in the protected zone.
Still a way? Franca, affected by Lumian's calm and resolute demeanor, felt her panic subside.
Lumian nodded at her. "Take Anthony and Ludwig and go to Madam Magician's place immediately. Follow her instructions. I'll meet Mr. Fool above the gray fog."
"Alright." Franca did not hesitate or let her emotions cloud her judgment.
She stepped forward, embracing Lumian's asymmetrical body for two seconds in silence. Straightening, she extended her right hand and offered a bright smile. "May we stay safe, and may you succeed."
Lumian smiled back, raising his right hand for a high-five.
With a crisp slap, he stared deeply at Franca for a few seconds, then turned and ascended the staircase. Grayish-white fog began to swirl around him as he disappeared.
Only when Lumian's figure faded completely did Franca wipe her eyes, her expression calm as she turned to face Anthony and Ludwig, who had already received notifications via the mental channel.
"We need to relocate," Franca said lightly, with a hint of a smile.
At the same time, many high-level figures in the protected zone sensed an ominous premonition.
Queen Mystic Bernadette swiftly produced Her Magic Wishing Lamp.
Even before she could stroke the lamp's surface, golden light burst from its spout, forming a faint, blue-tinged figure.
Genie's majestic voice reverberated.
"I warned Them that my sister's accommodation of the Brood Hive would be faster than expected. Why didn't They act sooner?
"Fate is only a baseline. Blind faith in its revelations invites backlash!"
As a former Clairvoyant, Bernadette immediately understood Genie's meaning: Fate's guidance was undoubtedly correct but only provided a baseline. For instance, in this case, fate might have hinted that there would be no major problems within a month. However, it wouldn't reveal that the apocalypse would strike immediately after that time frame. Similarly, fate might suggest there was still hope and opportunity a month from now but wouldn't warn that acting earlier could yield better chances and greater hope.
After a few seconds of silence, Queen Mystic Bernadette replied solemnly, "Perhaps it's precisely because fate is so enigmatic that we still have a chance and hope."
Genie fell silent at Her words.
...
Above the gray fog, in the majestic palace.
Lumian's figure appeared and immediately addressed Mr. Fool at the head of the bronze
table.
"The Mother Goddess of Depravity will fully accommodate the Brood Hive in at most half an hour. We didn't notice any signs until now."
Shrouded in gray-white fog, Mr. Fool nodded gently.
"Don't panic.
"This was already accounted for in our contingency plans. If we can't wait for the optimal moment, even a moderate or slightly worse opportunity is still an opportunity."
"I agree." Lumian smiled, his expression relaxed.
The time had finally come.
For him, it felt like a journey filled with pain and torment was finally reaching its conclusion.
The sense of relief outweighed all else.
In the next second, Lumian stood, placing his hand over his chest, and solemnly bowed to Mr.
Fool.
"Honorable Mr. Fool, let us begin."
"May all go smoothly, and may we meet again." Mr. Fool also stood, removing his silk top hat and placing it over his chest in a return bow.
Moments later, a figure pierced the gray fog and entered the palace.
It was the voluptuous and beautiful Earth Mother Lilith holding an invisible infant. Radiant with maternal grace, She arrived through a dream tied to the divine kingdom affiliated with
Sefirah Castle.
"Is it time?" This ancestor of the Sanguine asked Mr. Fool with a relaxed smile.
Her demeanor mirrored Lumian's, her smile much the same.
Before Mr. Fool could respond, Lilith looked at Lumian, who stood beside the bronze table,
and understood instantly.
"So it's him who will kill me.
"I see. That's how it should be."
Earth Mother Lilith visibly relaxed, Her beautiful features softening further with a
benevolent glow.
She even offered Lumian Her thanks. "Thank you."
Then She urged, "Let's begin. Time is of the essence."
Lumian glanced at Mr. Fool, who nodded. He then moved to the bottom of the bronze table,
turning the chair representing The World to face Earth Mother Lilith.
On the chair sat a card, depicting Empress Roselle in a maternity gown, her belly swollen with
maternal radiance.
Card of Blasphemy, Mother card!
Lumian picked up the Mother card and sat down in The World's seat.
To his sides, the flawless Zedus and the withered tree remains of Omebella appeared with Mr.
Fool's assistance.
In the next second, Zedus, under Lumian's command, opened His mouth and called out in a
low voice, "Mother."
Hearing this title, Lumian smiled.
Yes, the role he would act next was that of the Mother Goddess of Depravity!
This wasn't a fabricated symbolism, but something the Mother Goddess of Depravity Herself had acknowledged and permitted-one She had personally forged!
From containing fragments of Zedus's soul in Cordu Village to fusing Omebella's bloodline in Trier, Lumian had become the motherly vessel for these two divine offspring, a counterpart to
Madame Pualis in secret.
Subsequent events had reinforced this symbolic role. Thus, when drawing for a Major Arcana card, the first card he drew was The World. Thus, in the mirror world, his encounter with the calamity-representing Primordial Demoness and the mirrored Original Creator would allow Omebella to truly manifest in reality!
In all these occurrences, he had acted the role of the Mother, the Mother Goddess of
Depravity.
This was a sanctioned act-a symbolic connection recognized by the original! Since, during the descent of the crimson moon, the Mother Goddess of Depravity had been
Fooled, failing to kill Lumian immediately to sever this connection, he could now exploit it in
reverse!
To strengthen this role, Lumian had deliberately incorporated Zedus into his legion and exchanged for Omebella's remains, ensuring Their acknowledgment of him as Their mother. The Mother card, provided by Mr. Fool, further solidified the connection. Glancing at the Gift of the Land, which nestled close to him, Lumian closed his eyes briefly and recalled the whispered words of the Primordial Demoness, Cheek:
"Who you are is not important...
"What you want to do is not important either...
"What's important is the role you're playing..."
Lumian smiled, signaling Omebella's remains to merge with Earth Mother Lilith, overlapping
the two together. Sitting in The World's seat, Lumian's smile grew brighter. His left hand conjured formless,
colorless flames, while his right wielded a sinister black fire that froze everything it touched.
"Yes, who I am does not matter.
"What matters is the role I play. "But what I want to do matters just as much!"
With this thought, Lumian suddenly rose, unleashing the two opposing flames. They
intertwined and struck Lilith and Omebella's remains.
Now, I am acting as the Mother Goddess of Depravity! And what I want is to kill my daughter, Omebella!
-x-X-x-
As Lumian rose to his feet, Earth Mother Lilith sighed softly.
She raised Her right hand with a relaxed smile, smoothing Her dark brown hair.
It was as if she had returned to the state when she was one of the eight ancient gods.
Back then, She was the most beautiful woman, the most beautiful creature, and the most beautiful deity in the entire world and universe.
Almost simultaneously, She sensed the Gift of the Land shrinking slightly toward Her, seemingly startled, frightened, and saddened.
She also saw Mr. Fool, who was already standing, raise both hands. The black trench coat He wore flared as if caught in a strong wind.
Fooled!
Both Lumian's and Lilith's respective symbolic connections were valid and strong. Without needing further aid, Mr. Fool's sole task now was to Fool the Brood Hive, ensuring It remained utterly convinced.
The next moment, Sanguine Ancestor Lilith saw the formless, colorless flame Lumian had conjured merge with the freezing black flame, forming a strange black fire that restrained madness, destruction, and chaos.
Fire of Destruction!
The Fire of Destruction elongated into a massive black sword, which struck the remains of Omebella and Lilith across the distance.
Lilith offered no resistance, and neither did the Gift of the Land. It only let out an illusory wail of sorrow.
Lilith smiled-a smile as radiant as moonlight, as tender as the earth, and as loving as a mother's.
Crack!
Omebella's remains were the first to shatter. The lingering spirit and spirituality within them were swallowed by the black flames of the Sword of Destruction, disappearing entirely.
Pieces of broken wood were flung in all directions, charred black, with some reduced to ash. Lilith's expression twisted uncontrollably, a reflection of the instinctive pain She felt. Her voluptuous, graceful body split open, crumbling into fragments of brown light that scattered across the sky.
Her immense vitality struggled to reassemble the fragments, but it couldn't overcome the symbolic forces of destruction and chaos.
Within two or three seconds, the orbs of brown light fell to the grand palace's floor.
Lilith's consciousness rapidly dissipated. The final image in Her vision was of Mr. Fool and Lumian bowing slightly to Her in unison.
She smiled again.
Outside the protected zone, at the astral barrier, under the influence of the symbolic connection of falsehood becoming truth, the dormant body of Earth Mother Lilith also began to collapse, consumed by black flames that annihilated all and returned everything to the primordial.
A crimson moon once again rose high in the World of Ruins, accompanied by a mass of brown soil sprouting grass, grains, trees, mushrooms, and numerous reproductive organs.
Earth Mother Lilith, the ancestor of the Sanguine, had fallen.
Soon, the crimson moon and the brown soil plummeted together, streaking the sky with red and brown light as they descended into the protected zone.
Grafting!
On the western horizon, the larger blood-red moon that had just begun to rise through the gray fog suddenly exhibited rapid upheaval. A prominent bulge surged upward, as if the moon's crust were violently shifting, forming a mountain thousands or tens of thousands of meters high.
The mountain wriggled, resembling both a bird's nest and a womb.
The Brood Hive, whose dissipating consciousness had been rekindled by intense hatred and mystical stimulation, reassembled and became active once more.
The ascent of the enormous blood moon came to an abrupt halt, even showing signs of sinking back into the depths of the gray fog and below the horizon.
Sanguine Ancestor Lilith's death had not been in vain. The complete fusion of the Mother Goddess of Depravity and the Brood Hive had indeed been delayed!
At the astral barrier, with the Earth Mother's support gone, eight stars of various colors- scarlet, gold, and more-suddenly flared with extreme brilliance.
They rapidly expanded, pressing against the invisible barrier like terrifying eyes peering inside, or gaping mouths tearing at a membranous veil.
The sound of crackling transitioned from the abstract to the real, resonating from the astral world into the World of Ruins.
This signified that the invisible barrier had developed deep cracks, with mere seconds of durability remaining.
Once it shattered, the Outer Deities would tear apart the entire planet.
Among them, some deities bore symbols far less "gentle" than the Great Mother's.
Within the protected zone.
Will Auceptin, residing in the Southern Continent, raised His head to gaze at the night sky where the crimson moon hung high, and sighed in a deliberately aged tone.
"What's destined to come will come..."
He still appeared as a young boy, but His hair had somehow turned silver.
Beside Him, Azik Eggers also looked at the crimson moon in the night sky and nodded
slightly. "Death is not the true end.
"Even death itself will pass away."
At that moment, all the high-level entities within the protected zone "heard" the warning of fate—a symphony heralding the arrival of death.
They were all powerless to stop it.
Meanwhile, in the grand palace above the gray fog, Mr. Fool Klein nodded at Lumian and stepped forward.
He entered the astral realm, His figure growing immeasurably vast, neither abstracted nor reduced to mere symbols.
More than a month earlier, Klein Moretti had already completed his confrontation and fusion with The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, truly accommodating Sefirah
Castle!
The acceleration of Klein's progress was due to the Mother Goddess of Depravity's actions- Her attempt to revive the Primordial God Almighty through the mirrored Original Creator and the subsequent true birth of Omebella.
While these moves brought immense gains to the Mother Goddess, they also had significant drawbacks. They agitated the Celestial Worthy, who understood the terror of the Original Creator and the hatred the Primordial God Almighty bore toward Him. Forced to compromise, the Celestial Worthy chose to compromise and withdraw.
Although this meant ceding the contest to Klein, the Celestial Worthy believed that, in the grand scheme of things-over tens of thousands or even millions of years-He would eventually triumph. However, should the Original Creator or Primordial God Almighty return, all hope would be lost for Him!
To hasten the Celestial Worthy's withdrawal, Klein had made some concessions, achieving a more thorough fusion in certain aspects.
Thus, on June 25, 1360, Klein Moretti completed his confrontation and fusion with the Celestial Worthy, accommodating Sefirah Castle as a single-pathway deity-The Fool! For over a month since then, the now fully awakened The Fool Klein had refrained from immediate action, sharing his true state only with Lumian, the Evernight Goddess, and Will Auceptin. Instead, he had patiently and covertly prepared.
A Magician didn't perform unprepared!
Lumian's actions-visiting Red Angel Medici, retrieving 0-01, and dealing with Primordial Demoness Cheek-had happened only at the end of June for a critical reason:
he was awaiting Mr. Fool's full awakening!
That's why Ouroboros suddenly sensed that the opportunity had slipped away, and that He wouldn't be able to become a deity of the Fate pathway in the near future.
That was why the blessing granted by Will Auceptin could enable the scene transplantation of the Box of the Great Old Ones-it was finally the right moment. With the help of the awakened Fool Klein, He accommodated the Die of Probability, the Uniqueness of the Fate pathway. That's why Lumian, under the guise of seeking divination, visited the God of Knowledge and Wisdom and Queen Mystic on behalf of Mr. Fool.
Klein and Lumian's original plan was that once the latter accommodated the City of Calamity, he would leverage symbolic connections to kill Earth Mother Lilith. During the fierce confrontation between the Brood Hive and the Mother Goddess of Depravity, Klein would enter the astral world, retrieve the Uniquenesses of Error and Door, along with their corresponding Sequence 1 characteristics, and truly transcend the Sequences to become the Lord of Mysteries. As a Pillar, he would replace Earth Mother Lilith in maintaining the astral
barrier.
This approach would ensure the barrier's stability for at least another three to five years. That was why Klein had chosen not to ascend as the Lord of Mysteries at that time to directly confront the Mother Goddess of Depravity. If he had taken back the Uniquenesses linked to Gehrman Sparrow, the barrier would have collapsed within three seconds, even if Earth
Mother Lilith hadn't yet fallen.
Simultaneously, the Lord of Mysteries Klein could remotely assist Lumian-now the Origins of Disaster-against the Mother Goddess of Depravity, who would be suffering a backlash from the Brood Hive. This greatly increased their chances of victory. With the barrier stabilized, the battle would no longer have a time constraint.
Once the Mother Goddess of Depravity was driven from within the barrier, Lord of Mysteries Klein could lift the seals and aid the birth of more Above the Sequences. With him present, the deities could take turns leaving the astral barrier without fear of its collapse. However, to stabilize Lumian and prevent him from exploding uncontrollably as a Great Old Dominator after accommodating the City of Calamity, The Fool Klein chose to wait another month. This caused them to miss the optimal opportunity-though it might not have been optimal and could very well have been the worst possible time.
Since the best timing was no longer available, they now had to act quickly and give Lumian a chance to accommodate the City of Calamity before the Mother Goddess of Depravity fully accommodated the Brood Hive!
At the astral barrier, the figure of Gehrman Sparrow, who had been waiting, emerged. With his star-encrusted cane and black gloves, he stepped in front of The Fool Klein.
His expression cold, he revealed a faint smile, took a step forward, and merged with The Fool
Klein's figure.
The two became one!
The Fool Klein's body abruptly collapsed inward. Within the depths of his black trench coat, a glowing bluish-black door seemed to flicker in and out of existence.
The star-encrusted cane and black gloves collapsed inward as well, forming a massive vortex
within the trench coat-a terrifying vortex.
Every gust of wind, droplet of water, and ray of light in the vortex consisted of writhing worms, segmented insects, and tiny, starlit creatures.
Within a second or two, the vortex was also devoured. The inside of the black trench coat
became an abyss, seemingly infinite, as if it contained an entire universe and a spirit world
connected to every planet.
As this transformation occurred, grayish-white fog rapidly spread throughout the World of Ruins, enveloping the entire planet and all living beings.
Beyond the barrier, in the boundless universe, faint gray fog began to spread as well, though
no one could say when it had started.
Living beings within the fog either became dull-witted, filled with cunning, or inexplicably transported to the place they knew most intimately.
Numerous rules malfunctioned, and many symbols were fooled.
The pressure from the Outer Deities momentarily stagnated.
Time stopped.
At the astral barrier, within the darkness inside the black trench coat, smooth tentacles
inscribed with mysterious patterns suddenly emerged. They slipped into black gloves at the
sleeves and lifted the star-encrusted cane.
Next, under the silk half top hat, a face slowly emerged from the darkness-a face with black
hair and brown eyes.
It was Klein Moretti's face.
The Lord of Mysteries was born.
The ruler of the spirit world had returned.
-x-X-x-
At the deep, terrifying cracks in the astral barrier, grayish-white fog suddenly began to spread.
The fog quickly obscured the fissures, rendering them invisible and untouchable.
It was as if they no longer existed.
As a result, the astral barrier stabilized.
The Lord of Mysteries-where truth becomes falsehood, and falsehood becomes truth!
This time, the Outer Deities beyond the barrier did not retreat. Instead, They intensified Their oppression. Their brilliance grew brighter than before, especially the golden star, which rapidly expanded, first transforming into a blazing star with countless flames leaping from it, then into a genuine sun. It erupted with light that illuminated the entire astral world, revealing colossal, shadowy entities cloaked in darkness and terrifying forms shrouded by storms.
Once again, the astral barrier emitted a cracking sound that transitioned from abstract to real.
Lord of Mysteries Klein raised his hand to adjust the silk half-top hat on his head. His body dissolved into a dark vortex bristling with slick tentacles, which then merged into the invisible barrier.
Clang!
An ancient bell tolling across eras reverberated throughout the astral world and the spirit world that spanned the universe. The eight differently colored stars froze in place, and their exploding light fractured into countless cones.
The astral barrier was thoroughly stabilized.
Klein then turned his gaze toward the earth.
In the World of Ruins, except for the few areas under protection and some distant regions in the Western Continent, the Spirit Body Threads of all other living beings suddenly floated skyward, ascending into the astral world.
These included clawed bird-like infant monstrosities, oak giants, herds of deer, and various animals, as well as creatures mutated into the Brood Hive's followers. The countless beings- numbering in the tens or hundreds of billions-shuddered and turned their bodies to gaze uniformly at the massive, stationary blood-red moon hanging in the air.
The next second, these innumerable creatures writhed and transformed. Each one instantly morphed into a version of Klein Moretti, complete with a silk half-top hat and black trench coat.
Countless Klein Morettis surged toward the massive, blood-red, perfectly round moon from the sky, land, sea, and all directions.
Near the dense fog surrounding the Western Continent, Omebella, who had grown into a young girl over less than a year and now stood five or six meters tall, burned with black flames that emanated destruction. Her eyes were vacant as She watched each Klein Moretti pass by.
Her body had already fragmented substantially, and Her soul was near complete dissolution. All that remained was Her confusion and sorrow.
She couldn't understand why Her mother wanted to kill Her.
At last, Omebella's remaining consciousness, spirit, spirituality, and shattered body were devoured by the Fire of Destruction, rapidly turning to ash.
With Her complete death, the mountain-like, nest-like protrusion on the surface of the blood-red moon let out a wail filled with hatred and resentment: "Child! My child!" The struggle intensified.
As the Klein Morettis approached the densely concentrated world of the blood-red moonlight, they began to undergo transformations.
Some withered rapidly, others' bellies swelled as their flesh and blood concentrated into offspring that were not marionettes. Others gained new life and consciousness, ceasing to be mere puppets and starting to resist the Marionettist controlling them.
The Klein Morettis turned on each other, engaging in fierce battles. Yet whether it was the marionettes' offspring or those reborn, they soon became toys in the hands of the
Marionettist, entering a new cycle.
Many marionettes attempted to use various abilities, but the majority of these powers betrayed their original owners, instead destroying them.
The situation reached a stalemate as numerous inexplicable phenomena unfolded in the region.
The true body of Klein, unable to leave the astral barrier, never expected to defeat or seriously wound the Mother Goddess of Depravity using marionettes or parasitic methods. He simply aimed to scatter Her focus, forcing Her to divert significant attention to fend off the relentless, unending assaults. His true goal was to delay Her complete fusion with the Brood Hive!
Even if I can't defeat you, can't I at least make you miserable?
-
Within the protected zone, Backlund, at the home of The Magician Fors and Judgment Xio. After hearing Franca's account, The Magician Fors exhaled slowly and said, "So that's what happened...
"No wonder I had a bad feeling..."
Due to the isolation of the protected zone and the extremely high level of the current events, neither she nor Judgment Xio had managed to understand what was happening in time. All their attempts at divination had failed.
Before anyone else could speak, Fors looked around the room and solemnly said,
"Everyone, prepare yourselves."
Her plan was to relocate the humans in her "sphere" to the edge of the universe, to a still- habitable planet that hadn't yet been discovered by the Outer Deities. She had already gathered the Abrahams into a nearby neighborhood.
Franca opened her mouth as if to say something but held back. Anthony remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Madam Magician smiled slightly and turned to Ludwig.
"Your godfather probably wanted to feed you the danger of the third layer of the Box of the Great Old Ones, but I'm not sure if there's still time for that..."
Before she could finish, she suddenly froze, turning her head toward the window and gazing at the crimson moon in the night sky.
Franca, Ludwig, and Xio quickly followed suit.
"Mr. Fool has become the true Lord of Mysteries..." As an Archangel of the Door pathway, The Magician was the first to sense this. She was both surprised and puzzled, but these emotions were overshadowed by an overwhelming sense of relief and security.
"When did Mr. Fool fully awaken?" Judgment Xio began to recall the circumstances of the last
two Tarot Gatherings.
Mr. Fool has truly awakened and become the Lord of Mysteries? Franca felt a moment of elation before realizing why Lumian had been so unhurried earlier.
Not long after, once things had stabilized and The Magician Fors finally retrieved related information from the spirit world and stars, she exhaled in relief and said, "Although Earth
Mother has fallen..."
She glanced at Anthony, sealing his hearing just as Franca had done when explaining the Mother Goddess of Depravity's impending fusion with the Brood Hive.
Only after completing this did The Magician continue, "But the Mother Goddess of Depravity's progress in accommodating the Brood Hive has also been delayed. Mr. Fool has timely ascended as the Lord of Mysteries and stabilized the astral barrier."
She paused, then looked at Franca and Ludwig.
"Of course, the danger isn't over yet. If Lumian can't accommodate the City of Calamity before the Mother Goddess of Depravity fully fuses with the Brood Hive, and if he can't cooperate with Mr. Fool to seriously wound Her and drive Her out of the barrier after becoming the Origins of Disaster, we'll still have to evacuate."
"Mm." Franca first responded solemnly, then forced a smile. "At least there's still hope. That's better than no hope at all!"
"Indeed." Madam Magician nodded in agreement, then released Anthony from his seal and briefly explained the situation in terms he could understand.
After finishing, she sighed and said, "Tonight is destined to be long."
Meanwhile, the Rorsted Archipelago, in the City of Generosity, Bayam.
The Blue Avenger docked at the harbor. Mr. Hanged Man Alger, wearing a captain's coat, stepped off the deck and descended toward the port, embraced by the wind.
Under the crimson moonlight, his shadow stretched long and indistinct, as if he had three
heads.
Loen Kingdom, Cathedral of Serenity, in a certain room.
Mr. Star Leonard emerged from the darkness, wearing a white shirt under a dark trench coat.
He approached a table, picked up the red gloves placed before him, and slowly, methodically
slipped them on.
He then glanced around, his figure vanishing inch by inch as if erased by an invisible hand.
Mission: Protect a region containing multiple "spheres."
Destination: Tingen City, Awwa County.
...
Above the gray fog, within the majestic palace.
When Mr. Fool left for the astral world, Lumian turned his gaze toward the charred fragments
of trees left after the Gift of the Land shattered and the brown mist rising and coalescing
above them. This mist corresponded to the powers of the Desolate Matriarch's boon.
Lumian reached out and grabbed, causing the brown mist to condense into a mass of soil
sprouting grass, grains, and vines.
"Deliver this to Madam Justice," Lumian said, tossing the soil to Zedus beside him.
After the strike of the Sword of Destruction, Omebella's remaining consciousness and spirituality within the Gift of the Land had been completely annihilated, leaving behind no trace. The boon power, now detached from the corpse, became purified, containing only faint remnants of the Brood Hive's consciousness and spirituality, unlinked to Omebella's mystical
connections.
In essence, this mass of brown soil was akin to Beyonder items like the Circle of Binding or Fallen Mercury. It no longer bore ties to Omebella's past but could no longer reliably connect with the Brood Hive for power, making each use of its abilities finite.
As he spoke, Lumian departed from above the gray fog with Zedus, returning to the villa
where he resided.
Naboredisley was already waiting there.
"You've finally returned," said Naboredisley, His ice-blue eyes betraying a visible sigh of
relief.
As Zedus vanished with the brown soil in hand, Lumian smiled at Naboredisley and said, "Let's begin. This is the final chance."
With that, Lumian settled into an armchair in the living room.
Naboredisley gave him a look, sat on the long sofa opposite him, and smiled in reply, "Better
than no chance at all."
Before the words had fully left his lips, His body suddenly dissolved into a pool of black liquid, a manifestation of all malice, desire, and evil intent.
The black liquid, both real and illusory, quickly flowed toward Lumian.
Directly infiltrating my mind and spirit without implanting a spiritual brand? Heh... Lumian raised
an eyebrow, watching with a smile but offering no resistance. He allowed the foul, sinister liquid to seep into his body, spirit, and mind.
Feeling the surge of malevolence within him, Lumian retrieved a candle from his divine
kingdom, lit it, and placed it on the edge of the coffee table.
He then leaned back against the sofa, closing his eyes. The faintly sweet aroma of gray amber began to spread.
-x-X-x-
As the scent of gray amber candles wafted through the air, Lumian sat with his eyes closed, sensing the malice welling up deep within his mind. It was as though he had entered the mists of history, embodying Devil Monarch Farbauti, indulging in wild, unrestrained acts, all while entering a Cogitative state.
Now, he no longer needed corpse wax candles to sense the City of Calamity. Through Cogitation alone, he could achieve a deep communion with it.
Soon, Lumian began to float. Before him appeared a mist tinged with an eerie black hue.
This time, he didn't enter the "Shanghai" that Franca had described, nor did he see the trackless trams carrying heads with dangling spines or rickshaws dragging bloated women. Instead, what came into view was a stone well built of slabs and iron chains engraved with devilish faces.
The Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence? Now that I've become a dual-pathway true god in the domain of calamity, initiating the secret deed brings me directly to the core of the City of Calamity, to the place where the malevolent dragon is sealed? If not for the seal, I'd likely be facing the malevolent dragon directly... Lumian nodded in understanding.
Wasting no time, he immersed himself in the mirror-like surface of the crimson well water. He traversed through familiar scenes he had previously explored and arrived at the gray- white plaza where he had once encountered the mirrored Alista Tudor. Outside the invisible barrier, he saw the massive black shadow occupying the bottom of the blood-colored sea, spanning the size of an entire metropolis.
He stopped in his tracks.
At the same time, outside the wooden tower binding the malevolent dragon, a figure materialized out of thin air, composed of countless ethereal, transparent entities.
Draped in a blue robe and crowned with a traditional high headdress, this figure held a horsetail whisk. His face was as flawless as jade but gaunt.
The Celestial Master of the current generation.
Now that the Mother Goddess of Depravity had captured the Brood Hive and begun fusing with it, He no longer needed to maintain the grayish-white fog.
Beside Him, two other figures gradually came into focus.
One was clad in yellow monastic robes wrapped in a red kasaya. His head bore tonsure scars, and his round face was adorned with a long white beard that reached his chest. He wore a perpetual, kind smile.
The other was draped in a dark robe adorned with strange patterns. His face was ashen and bloodless, with eyes so black they seemed to swallow all light.
The first was the manifestation of Buddha, a Holy Monk acknowledged by all sects of the monastic community. The second was the Underworld Daoist, head of the Haoli lineage. Ever since He had entered the River of Eternal Darkness to suppress the remnants of the Blood Emperor's soul, He had been as good as dead-His consciousness only partially merged into the River, allowing Him to act briefly but preventing Him from returning to the living world. This fate mirrored those of His predecessors and successors in the Haoli lineage.
"Your efforts are much appreciated," said the Celestial Master, placing one hand on his chest and nodding slightly.
Before His words had fully settled, a shadow emerged from the depths of the dragon-sealing tower. Darkness condensed into a human form.
The figure wore a voluminous black robe, with long, flowing hair streaked with white. His gaunt face bore a smile as He stepped forward. "How could you leave me out of this?"
The Celestial Master did not respond, as a sudden light illuminated the sky.
All four present figures raised their heads simultaneously. Through layers of white clouds, they saw a faintly discernible door.
At the door stood an immense figure, crowned with the high headdress of an emperor, its face concealed by overlapping beaded veils.
Without speaking further, the Celestial Master approached the stone tablet in front of the wooden tower and pressed His hand against it.
In the next second, the iron chains within the ancient well began to retract, producing metallic clanging sounds.
This caused the crimson well water to ripple and lose its mirror-like quality.
Standing on the gray-white plaza, Lumian immediately sensed that the barrier separating the blood-colored sea from this mirror world had loosened, leaving exploitable "cracks."
As the Ruler of the Mirror World, Lumian dematerialized without hesitation, passing through the opening and returning to reality.
The blood-colored sea surged around him, corroding his soul and attempting to merge with him.
Lumian felt the malice buried deep within his heart gush forth as viscous black liquid, separating from his mind and spirit.
These streams of black liquid stealthily dispersed into the surroundings of the blood-colored sea, neutralizing the dark specks suspended within it.
Unconcerned with Devil Monarch Farbauti's actions, Lumian focused his gaze ahead, toward the immense black shadow he had previously glimpsed but could not clearly see.
The shadow was unimaginably long, coiled like a serpent. Yet, even so, it occupied an area comparable to an entire Trier.
Its body seemed composed of two enormous pythons entwined together-one covered in deep, iron-black scales, the other smooth and pristine, like white jade. Where they touched, flesh and bone intertwined, forming one entity despite their dual appearance.
Iron chains, engraved with demonic reliefs, pierced through this massive body repeatedly, extending toward the blood-colored sea above.
Sensing Lumian's presence, the colossal creature slowly raised its heads.
It had three heads!
On the left, connected to the black-scaled body, was a head resembling a camel's, with antelope-like horns, cow-like ears, and iron-black eyes. Crimson fur covered its scalp.
On the right, extending from the white jade "serpent body," was the head of a human woman with black hair and brown eyes, breathtakingly beautiful, bearing a resemblance to Cheek. Or rather, Cheek bore a resemblance to it.
The central head, however, was a swirling amalgamation of liquid, encompassing all colors and possibilities. At its facial features-eyes, nose, ears, and mouth-holes had been drilled, one or two in each location.
This central head separated the other two, preventing them from merging, ensuring their independent existence. Below it, an invisible substance formed a neck that both supported the head and rooted it into the entwined serpentine bodies.
"You also have three heads..." Lumian chuckled.
Then, he mockingly jeered at Adam in his mind, Your plan failed in the final step!
Had Alista Tudor and Cheek not stumbled upon the right conditions by chance, this "experiment" of yours would have ended in failure!
The phrase "Yin contains yang, yang contains yin, the union of yin and yang gives rise to everything" was indeed correct, and the only method, but only up until the final step. But in this state, attempting to accommodate the City of Calamity would inevitably lead to disaster.
The phrase "the union of yin and yang gives rise to everything" itself hinted at its conclusion:
What did everything begin with? It began with the Original Creator creating this world! The union of yin and yang signifies a return to the origin, heralding the rebirth of all things! Of course, what would return wouldn't be the complete Original Creator but rather a Mirrored Original Creator, stable enough to avoid immediately destroying and rebooting the universe.
In the First Epoch, the first sefirah accommodated by the Primordial God Almighty was the City of Calamity. Beyond His deep desire for it, He likely foresaw its dangers. By intervening personally and using the chaotic head as a barrier, He prevented yin and yang from fully merging, halting their
integration.
Everything was threefold, giving birth to all things. Only then could it be stable.
With his three heads and six faces, Lumian gazed at the similarly three-headed malevolent
dragon, laughing wildly.
...
Inside the wooden tower.
The Celestial Master, the Holy Monk, the Haoli lineage's Underworld Daoist, and the self- proclaimed Master of the Shadow Cottage each sat cross-legged at one of the dragon-sealing
well's corners.
Underneath the Celestial Master appeared a desolate wilderness. Behind the Holy Monk, a
pristine, transcendent halo emerged.
Before the Haoli sect master, a straight, broad, dark river flowed out of the void and into the
ancient well.
Seeing this, the Master of the Shadow Cottage laughed uproariously, summoning a faintly discernible, shadowy-black world to descend upon the scene.
At the wooden tower's apex, a light tinged with blue and white poured down directly onto the
dragon-sealing well.
Clanging sounds echoed as faint light glimmered on the chains embedded in the ancient
well's walls, shaking violently.
The battle between Lumian and the malevolent dragon-or rather, Lumian's effort to accommodate the City of Calamity-was something the high-ranking figures like the Celestial Master could not directly intervene in. They could only use the preexisting seals to
restrict and weaken the malevolent dragon.
...
At the bottom of the blood-colored sea, the malevolent dragon's six eyes fixed on Lumian, and an overwhelming pressure descended upon the world.
Lumian, holding onto the idea that "if I can persuade it, I can save a lot of time, and there's nothing to lose by trying," smiled and Instigate the malevolent dragon, "I know you desire war, destruction, the conquest of all things, and to send those who refuse to submit into
chaos.
"If you're willing to merge with my body, I will lead you into the highest realms of warfare, where those so-called great existences will either bow before you or be destroyed by you."
As Lumian spoke, Cheek's face turned forward, eager to add something, to Instigate a few words Herself. Unfortunately, she couldn't speak.
The malevolent dragon stared at Lumian for several seconds, and then the two side heads
spoke simultaneously.
One voice was masculine and powerful; the other was soft and alluring. The two overlapped, resonating throughout the surroundings:
"The hawk does not bow to the sparrow, and a true dragon does not obey the wild dog.
"If you wish to claim all this, then come and defeat me-kill me!"
Hearing these words, Lumian suddenly felt a surge of excitement. So did the face of Alista
Tudor, whose eyes turned iron black, filled with fervent intensity. Lumian immediately raised his right hand and removed the dark gold mask from the central face on his left shoulder, revealing the visage formed of the chaotic vortex.
He laughed loudly and declared, "Then let us fight!"
...
In the World of Ruins.
Above the grayish-white fog outside the Western Continent, the blood-red moon continued
to fend off the marionettes controlled by Klein while simultaneously suppressing the Brood Hive with relentless fury.
Suddenly, from deep within the blood-red moon-where the physical core might reside- came a strange sound: Thump! Thump! Thump!
It sounded like the heartbeat of a fetus within its mother's womb.
Before the fetus had even been born, its heartbeat pierced through its mother's body, echoing across every place illuminated by the blood-red moonlight.
-x-X-x-
Thump! Thump!
As the heartbeat intensified, the towering, ten-thousand-meter-high Brood Hive hesitated in Its struggle. It seemed to be drawn by an inexplicable force or subjected to an irresistible power.
Its fusion with the blood-red moon accelerated once again.
However, the heartbeat emanating from the depths of the moon did not last long. It soon subsided, as if even the moon's body rejected its continuation, unwilling to let the pulsations grow stronger.
It was as though allowing it to persist might bring about an unknown problem-one so severe that the moon itself was reluctant to face it.
After the brief resonance of the infant's heartbeat, the Brood Hive's resistance faltered. Though It still struggled and held Its ground, Its efforts were no longer as fervent as before. It was akin to a battlefield charge, once full of hope, being thwarted, leading to a drop in morale.
Under such circumstances, failure seemed inevitable in the near future.
...
At the bottom of the blood-colored sea, Lumian removed the dark golden mask, revealing the chaotic vortex face beneath. At that moment, the left head of the malevolent dragon let out a terrifying roar.
The roar reverberated through Lumian's mind, causing an overwhelming buzzing that briefly scattered his thoughts.
Pain shot through all three of his necks as if invisible hands were trying to wrench each head from his shoulders, spine and all.
Of the three, the chaotic vortex head was the least affected. It turned to the front, stabilizing the body while continuing to "gaze" at the malevolent dragon.
Accompanied by the roar, the malevolent dragon attempted to stretch Its massive body and ascend to the upper reaches of the blood-colored sea. But metallic clanging echoed as black iron chains embedded in Its flesh and soul strained against Its movements.
One after another, the demonic engravings on the chains transformed into colossal, tangible entities-manifestations of various demons.
They desperately pulled on the chains, preventing the malevolent dragon from leaving Its position.
Some demons quickly succumbed to the malevolent dragon's power, submitting entirely. Others held on, stubbornly resisting the forces of conquest.
Seeing the formation of demons faltering and on the verge of complete submission, a dark, colorless river flowed down the iron chains, revitalizing the struggling devils. It was like an emergency injection, causing them to return to their positions and heed the commands of their sealers.
High-ranking figures of the Death pathway wield significant control and suppression over their lesser counterparts. The River of Eternal Darkness, a force even higher in rank than Death itself, amplified this effect!
When the malevolent dragon was first sealed, the engravings of demons on the iron chains were chosen specifically for this purpose. Empowered by the River of Eternal Darkness and controlled by the Haoli sect's sect master, these demons could partially resist the dragon's powers of Conquest and Charm. This ensured that the demons would not immediately capitulate in the dragon's struggle, buying time for reinforcements to arrive and activate subsequent layers of containment.
Amidst the piercing sounds of strained metal, the malevolent dragon managed to extend only part of Its body. It could not ascend higher in the blood-colored sea and remained trapped in place.
This was one of the reasons Klein believed Lumian had a chance to merge with the City of Calamity before the Mother Goddess of Depravity completed Her fusion with the Brood Hive. Lumian wasn't facing a fully intact malevolent dragon or the City of Calamity at its peak. Instead, he confronted a target that had been sealed through a monumental effort-one that cost countless heroes their lives!
The current malevolent dragon was shackled, unable to leave its position or create Mirror Substitutions or slumbering mirrors. It was akin to a living target. If Lumian couldn't defeat, subdue, kill, or merge with such a restrained dragon in a short time, he was fundamentally unworthy of the task.
The cultivators of the Western Continent had paved the way for him, sacrificing generations to remove half the obstacles to the finish line!
Lumian stood on the shoulders of giants, supported by the wisdom and sacrifices of Western civilization's sages.
This was a relay passed down through countless generations, and Lumian was merely the final runner!
Many of the demonic entities engraved on the dragon-sealing chains were once cultivators who voluntarily transformed themselves to bind the dragon. They willingly accepted eternal torment, choosing to descend into demonic hell to ensure the dragon remained imprisoned. Today, they would finally see the decisive battle. The malevolent dragon would be slain, and they would be liberated.
Success doesn't have to be achieved by me, but I must contribute to its achievement!
The demons on the iron-black chains, their faces twisted and their claws bared, remained steadfast. The majority stood resolutely at their posts, refusing to retreat, vowing to resist to the death.
They pulled on the chains with all their might, firmly restricting the dragon's movements and creating opportunities for Lumian's attacks.
Earlier, Lumian had attempted to Instigate the dragon not only to save time but also to leverage the Eye of Calamity to identify the malevolent dragon's weaknesses and the
tributary of fate leading to Its death.
But the malevolent dragon had no fatal weaknesses. There was no tributary in fate leading to Its true demise.
Its only vulnerabilities were the chains and the demons that forcefully created limitations. These were not deadly flaws; they merely restricted Its actions and diminished Its power. Thus, Lumian removed the dark golden mask. He intended to use the chaotic vortex face to draw upon the White Tower pathway's Omniscient Eye ability.
This time, he wasn't searching for weaknesses or death. He was searching for problems. The vortex on the chaotic face at the center of his left shoulder began to spin. Deep within the vortex, an eye seemed to open, illuminating the entwined dual dragon bodies and their three heads.
In an instant, Lumian saw the problem.
A scene suddenly appeared in his mind: Under a specific psychic storm, intangible shadows that didn't belong to the dragon-yet bore Its aura were stripped away.
These shadows included a general seated alone in a tent, a beautiful dancer performing under the general's gaze, a conqueror standing before a massive mound of skulls, a concubine gracefully dancing in his palm, an emperor ascending a sacrificial altar alone, and a favored consort smiling at the sight of beacon fires rising in the distance...
These shadows represented successive generations of high-ranking figures who had aligned themselves with the City of Calamity. They were a jumble of influences that had imparted some degree of consciousness, thoughts, and inclinations to the malevolent dragon. Lumian envisioned using psychic authority and a specific Mental Plague to temporarily strip away these external consciousnesses, rejecting them to the edges of the dragon's being. This would return the malevolent dragon to Its most "primal" and "authentic" form.
As such, the malevolent dragon would become a pure symbol of calamity, a walking embodiment of destruction, incapable of controlling Its own instincts.
This created exploitable vulnerabilities.
As the scene took shape in Lumian's mind, the malevolent dragon, which was straining against the chains, suddenly stiffened. One by one, intangible shadows separated from Its
body.
The dragon's left head, with Its iron-black eyes, was instantly tinged with blood-red. The expression on the right, the beautiful woman's head, turned mad. Even the central, chaotic head began spewing all-encompassing colors from its drilled apertures.
The declared future from a Visionary was unfolding!
The blood-colored sea quaked violently the very next second. An indescribable aura of destruction and madness descended upon the scene. The demons on the chains trembled uncontrollably, while Lumian's right and central heads were forced to bow.
The malevolent dragon's white-bodied head, with Its crazed blue eyes, swiftly reflected Lumian's body within Its gaze. It perceived his fragile balance and the point of calamity's
detonation.
Without hesitation, the dragon lunged forward. In Its eyes, Lumian's body began to collapse
from within, exploding into chaos.
Catastrophe descended!
This was a strike against Lumian's greatest vulnerability-his precarious balance.
For the now-instinct-driven malevolent dragon, what would happen to Lumian in the event
of such a collapse didn't matter.
Its sole desire was destruction, the return of all things to chaos. Lumian's figure shattered abruptly, voluntarily turning into a mirror.
Yet, even with his preemptive use of a Mirror Substitution, the catastrophe traveled through
the connection between the avatar and his true body, spreading to him.
This was the nature of the City of Calamity.
As long as a connection existed, it could curse, affect, and spread catastrophe! Lumian's half-female, half-male body shimmered in one corner of the blood-colored sea. Both sides of his form began writhing as though they intended to devour each other. Meanwhile, the central head lost its connection and control over the heads on the right and
left.
Within Lumian, the Uniqueness of the Primordial Demoness, the Uniqueness of the Red Priest, and the Demoness of Apocalypse Beyonder characteristics and Conqueror erupted into violent conflict. Each sought to end the current equilibrium and dominate the whole.
Illusory cracking noises echoed as the invisible connections within Lumian, linking his various traits, were forcibly severed by the catastrophe.
However, this did not cause Lumian's body to collapse catastrophically. Instead, it shattered
the protections maintaining his balance.
Grafting!
That protection was Grafting.
Shortly after becoming a dual-pathway true god, Lumian had enlisted Mr. Fool's assistance
to Graft the Uniqueness and Beyonder characteristics within him into a cohesive whole, stabilizing his existence in a peculiar manner. He had made similar preparations before facing
the Primordial Demoness.
Now, the Grafting had shielded him from one catastrophic collapse of his balance, but it could only do so once. Beyond this, even the Lord of Mysteries Klein could no longer intervene in
what transpired here.
Lumian's three heads continued to spin, each turning toward different directions. Had he not spent the past month adjusting his state and further stabilizing his psyche and
spirit, Lumian, who had relied on Grafting to escape the predicament, would still have taken
the inevitable turn, albeit less catastrophic.
As his three heads rotated, Lumian managed to barely regain control of Cheek's face. He raised one arm on his right side.
-x-X-x-
As Lumian clenched one of the arms on his right side, the void before him collapsed entirely, meeting its apocalypse. It formed a vortex of chaos that contained all colors and possibilities.
Just as an Apocalypse was an ascendant form of Catastrophe, Chaos was an ascendant form of Apocalypse.
Catastrophe led to the collapse of an entire system. Apocalypse deepened that collapse into a total explosion of contradictions, entangling all into one. Chaos represented the singularity in a convergence, the conclusion after the total explosion.
Thus, the Chaos of the Chaos Demoness could not be applied directly to a stable and balanced target. A catastrophic collapse must first be created in the designated area, followed by the total explosion of contradictions to form a substantial vortex of chaos. Only then could it spread outward to affect the target.
As soon as the vortex containing all colors appeared, it began spreading toward the malevolent dragon.
It encountered an invisible barrier, unable to directly reach the dragon's massive body. This was part of the sealing mechanism. The malevolent dragon was incapable of creating catastrophes or launching attacks within the area It occupied or where the iron-black chains extended. Otherwise, It would have destroyed the sealing chains through self-inflicted damage long ago, returning to the "sea"-after all, as long as even a single flame of Its being remained, It could rebuild Its body.
This limitation restricted both the malevolent dragon and Lumian.
The vortex of chaos churned violently against the invisible barrier, pulling and shredding it in an attempt to consume it. Yet the barrier's power seemed endless, showing no signs of faltering in the short term.
Around the dragon-sealing well, high-ranking figures from the Western Continent, such as the Celestial Master and the Holy Monk, successively unleashed Their powers. Layer by layer, They decoupled the seal, creating a breach in the area where Lumian was attacking.
The vortex of chaos quickly broke through the invisible barrier, extending toward the malevolent dragon's enormous body.
On the surface of the chains binding that part of the dragon, the demon carvings-rather than showing anger as they faced the encroaching chaos-wore expressions of joy. They
straightened their backs, lifted their heads high, and their terrifying visages of green faces, sharp fangs, bare bones, and oozing pus radiated pride and relief.
The vortex, containing all possibilities, swept them in, quickly dissolving them into nothingness.
The corresponding chains fractured and fell into the chaos.
That section of the malevolent dragon's body was also torn apart-deep red flames, iron- black bones, white spikes, and black fur all dissipated into the vortex of chaos.
All three of Its heads tilted back simultaneously, letting out agonized howls.
The affected part of Its body broke apart. Without the binding chains, It ignited prematurely with black flames that restrained madness, destruction, and chaos.
The swathes of dark flames collided with the approaching chaos, plunging the blood-colored sea into instant darkness. Light, sound, and motion all ceased to exist.
Both forces annihilated each other simultaneously.
As Lumian prepared to capitalize on his strike, to unleash catastrophe, herald apocalypse, and initiate wave after wave of warfare, a surge of madness erupted from deep within his mind.
The "occasional" state he was in ended prematurely.
He lost control. He went mad!
This was because the malevolent dragon was an incomplete Origins of Disaster. Unless It deliberately restrained Itself, Its corresponding symbols would inevitably influence the surrounding area. For Lumian, two latent calamities were most prominent: his fragile balance and the fact that he had already lost control and succumbed to madness, only temporarily lucid due to The Fool Klein's wish. The first had already been triggered earlier, and now, the second was inevitably manifesting as disaster!
The central head on Lumian's body lost all reason. Its expression twisted with madness. At the same time, the chaotic vortex face on his left shoulder suddenly developed two holes, as if organs had been forcibly gouged out at the positions of its eyes.
This face took over his entire body.
A Virtual Persona!
It was the Virtual Persona from the Visionary pathway!
Over the past month, besides stabilizing his state and helping the Tarot Club members, as well as those he still cared about in the protected zones, Lumian had been contemplating potential challenges in his battle against the malevolent dragon.
Thanks to The Fool Klein's awakening and accommodation of Sefirah Castle, Lumian gained deeper understanding and mastery over symbols and their influences. He learned the nature of the Origins of Disaster, Calamity of Destruction, as well as their potential impacts on himself.
To counter this, he had used the Visionary's abilities to implant a virtual persona in himself. If his primary consciousness lost control and descended into madness, this temporary persona would immediately emerge, fusing with the chaotic vortex face to take over his body.
The chaotic vortex face was chosen because only Its status and rank could suppress the other faces and the uncontrollable madness of his primary consciousness.
The Virtual Persona, a near-exact replica of Lumian but with subtle differences, barely restrained his frenzied instincts. At that moment, an endless black void appeared before him, along with a star larger and brighter than the sun.
The star's core collapsed on a massive scale, releasing unparalleled light and heat.
A sea of unimaginable brilliance surged forth, just seconds away from engulfing Lumian.
The central head on Lumian's body burst into maniacal laughter.
"Is this also a damn calamity?"
...
At the border between the Western Continent and the Fog Sea, high above the grayish-white
fog.
The nest-like, ten-thousand-meter-high peak on the blood-red moon began to tremble, sinking inch by inch.
The halted fusion resumed, though not at the same rapid pace as when the blood moon first
rose.
Among the countless manifestations of Klein surrounding the moonlit world, some were engaging in "infighting," while others remotely influenced the Mother Goddess of Depravity, albeit only causing interference.
...
Somewhere in the ruins of the Southern Continent.
Within a concealed area protected by slight corruption transmitted by the Mother Tree of Desire through the Chained God, the grotesque followers of the Mother Tree of Desire- oozing pus, with misplaced facial features, or bearing animalistic traits like rabbit ears, skinny pig limbs, and sheep torsos, or writhing in agony under ceaseless curses- simultaneously received messages from Suah and Tirié: "Come to the altar! "Hahaha, the Mother Goddess of Depravity is about to succeed. After accommodating the Brood Hive, She will assist us according to Her pact with the Lord, the Primordial God
Almighty!
"This is what we gained in exchange for the loss of the Tree of Shadow!"
Upon hearing the name Mother Goddess of Depravity, many of the followers underwent grotesque transformations, sprouting genitalia, staining blood-red, or swelling as fetuses prepared to tear their way out...
These Beyonders staggered toward the altar.
Suah and Tirié, in Their madness, were indifferent to their states, or perhaps, didn't even
consider it.
...
Confronted by the exploding sea of light, Lumian ignited.
He transformed into an invisible, colorless flame before becoming pure light.
In a sun-like state wreathed in fire, he met the raging, searing, terrifying sea of light.
Lumian was absorbed into it. His outer flames extinguished and reignited repeatedly, while his inner luminous consciousness alternated between disintegration and cohesion.
As the explosion neared its end, he morphed into a vortex of chaos, absorbing the surrounding light and heat to reconstruct his body.
Relying on the chaotic vortex face's status, rank, abilities, and Its affinity with light, Lumian
barely survived this calamity.
Yes, the Calamity of Destruction encompassed universal symbols, and a supernova explosion was undoubtedly one such calamity!
Similarly, as the Calamity of Destruction represented a universal-level symbol, the scope of the City of Calamity could be infinitely small or infinitely vast.
Immediately after, Lumian transformed into light and, at the speed of light, raced toward the location of the malevolent dragon he sensed.
At that moment, an indescribably deep darkness emerged in the adjacent starry sky.
The darkness couldn't be directly seen or truly perceived. It was identifiable only through the distorted gases and the slow-spinning disk-like structure surrounding it.
The light that Lumian had become bent uncontrollably toward the darkness, entering the
rotating structure of diffuse material.
This too was a calamity!
A true Calamity of Destruction!
Lumian realized he had only one path to survival: to quickly pass through the earlier breach
and enter the malevolent dragon's territory.
There, the malevolent dragon couldn't launch attacks or create calamities. Otherwise, It
would have freed Itself long ago!
Amid the bending light, Lumian abruptly reverted to his fiery giant form.
Clusters of his intangible flames flew toward the spinning disk's core, followed by the iron-
black bones that made up his frame.
Seizing a fleeting opportunity, a vivid banner-like mark emerged on the forehead of the
central head.
He was invoking the sacrificial ability of the Red Priest, offering tribute to the malevolent dragon and pleading for Its aid!
In a normal state, the malevolent dragon would have ignored Its enemy. But now, with the external consciousnesses and inclinations temporarily stripped from it, the malevolent dragon was a pure creature of instinct.
Receiving sacrifices and providing Its help was an ability etched into the Beyonder characteristics, authority, concepts, and symbols of the Hunter pathway. The malevolent dragon would instinctively, uncontrollably respond to Lumian, even if it led to Its own
downfall.
This was why Lumian had begun the battle by forcing the dragon back to its godhood and instincts with the Omniscient Eye!
As time slowed to a crawl, Lumian, now missing most of his body, received the malevolent
dragon's response.
"Haha!" His central head laughed maniacally.
The darkness and its surrounding distortions dissipated in tandem.
That individual for which it came was the same reason it vanished. Before the malevolent dragon could react, Lumian activated a contract mark on his body.
-x-X-x-
Lumian's figure abruptly disappeared into the boundless cosmos, following the mystical connection established by the malevolent dragon's response to his offering, "transporting" himself to Its domain.
Surrounding him were layers of dense, overlapping colors and wailing souls.
The spirit world!
Unless entirely and specifically isolated, every place was connected to the spirit world and the astral world.
This was one of the symbolic meanings of a Pillar.
However, waiting for Lumian was an overwhelming brilliance that swept away everything. It was as if two galaxies collided, tearing through the spirit world.
Lumian did not linger in the spirit world. Before the exploding sea of light engulfed him, he transformed into an abstract symbol and concept, entering the astral world.
An infinite flood of light, heat, and matter surged after him.
Reaching out with both hands, Lumian created a door directly within the astral world, amidst a composition of symbols and concepts-a "painted" door, layered and intricate.
The door was instantly opened, and Lumian's figure disappeared from the astral world.
His eyes then beheld the entwined, colossal forms of the malevolent dragon.
Finally, he had arrived at the domain where the dragon lay coiled, a place where It could not unleash calamities. He reached this location through a "door."
The contract seal he activated was not one from Zedus, as that form of "transportation" belonged to spirit world creatures and could not access the astral world or open a "door."
Instead, he used a newly acquired contract seal-one obtained a month ago from Gehrman Sparrow!
By its nature, the contracts of a Contractee lost the ability to forcefully compel agreements or obligations once they reached higher levels of power without the qualitative enhancement provided by Inevitability. However, if both parties willingly agreed to and honored the contract, and the contractee's body and soul could bear the power transmitted by the other party, it remained effective. Such mystical connections, though, were fragile and could not sustain more than two uses, being easily disrupted.
Before facing the Primordial Demoness, Lumian had ventured into the astral world, where he sought angel-level boons of true gods for his puppet soldiers. He had also signed a contract with Gehrman Sparrow, who wielded the Door pathway's Uniqueness, to prepare for situations where he couldn't rely on his puppet soldiers.
In that prior battle, while the Primordial Demoness had indeed held back, so had Lumian, keeping some of his cards hidden!
Earlier, Lumian waited until the sacrificial ritual took effect and the malevolent dragon responded before activating the contract seal that represented high-level power from the Door pathway. This was to confuse the dragon with his persistence and journey, catching It in a moment of distraction so that It would not detect or disrupt the contract connection in time. Additionally, the ritual strengthened the mystical connection between Lumian and the dragon, ensuring he could locate It and reach his destination, despite the dragon's potent Fog of War.
The negative effects of signing a Door-related Uniqueness contract with Gehrman Sparrow originally manifested as "frequently getting lost and encountering hostile, dangerous entities." However, after being Fooled by The Fool Klein, the drawback changed to "potentially getting lost and encountering hostile entities only while using the contract's abilities."
In the current scenario, the most hostile and dangerous entity to Lumian was undoubtedly the malevolent dragon!
Once Lumian "opened the door" to enter the sealed domain of the malevolent dragon, he immediately felt the calamities stemming from the dragon's influence subside.
The power of the Wish returned, and he once again entered his state of "occasional" lucidity!
The malevolent dragon roared, emanating powerful Conquest and Charm, but despite Its ferocity, It could not easily break free from the dragon-sealing chains and the countless demons holding It down.
While relying on the chaotic vortex face on his left shoulder to resist the Conquest and Charm without yielding quickly, Lumian stood above the dragon within the blood-colored sea. He deactivated the Virtual Persona and turned his gaze toward the terrifying, grimacing demons on the dragon-sealing chains.
Having learned from Mr. Fool about the origins of the chains and demons, Lumian's expression was filled with respect and admiration. Using a phrase he had deliberately learned from Franca in the Western Continent's language, he addressed the demons, "Fellow Daoists, please aid me in ending this calamity!"
The terrifying, twisted demons suddenly froze.
Fellow Daoists... This ancient title, seemingly long lost to history, echoed in their ears.
Their fierce expressions softened. On their green and white phantom-like faces, there was a look of reminiscence.
Still straining to maintain their positions along the various nodes of the chains, ensuring that the malevolent dragon remained sealed and could only use abilities like Conquest and Charm within the domain, some of them extended their hands to straighten their crooked, tattered crowns. Others painstakingly tidied their rotting, flesh-exposing garments. Some lifted trembling hands to wipe the bloodstains from their faces...
A gentleman must not lose his crown, even in death!
The Haoli sect's leader, standing beside the dragon-sealing well, also heard Lumian's words. As a high-ranking figure of the River of Eternal Darkness, He slightly relaxed His control and suppression over the demons.
The demons raised their heads and looked upward, shouting to Lumian in unison, "Fellow Daoist, I shall aid you!"
These cries interwove and echoed, spreading in waves.
With their permission, Lumian quickly incorporated them into his army, making them his teammates and soldiers to resist the dragon's forceful Conquest and terrifying Charm.
One after another, the layered phantom images of the demons materialized behind Lumian- these were their mirror selves.
The demons at the bottom of the blood-colored sea numbered in the tens of thousands, if not more. While maintaining the chains and the seal to prevent the dragon's escape, they awaited Lumian to lead their mirrored selves in a devastating attack against the dragon's true form. Lumian's six arms either ignited intangible flames, formed chaotic vortices, grasped soul- freezing black flames, held up an illusory red altar, carried a grayish-white aura, or raised a scorched banner-all simultaneously unleashing attacks on the dragon's massive body.
These six powers, belonging respectively to the Red Priest and the Primordial Demoness, intertwined to form a giant black-flaming sword of destruction.
The demons' mirror selves also launched their own attacks under Lumian's rank, especially those who had once belonged to the Haoli sect and its related factions.
They obtained approval and blessings from the Haoli sect's leader outside the dragon- sealing well and the Underworld Daoist within the River of Eternal Darkness, each borrowing a droplet of the colorless, dark river water.
These droplets transformed into countless illusory arrows that filled the sky, flying toward Lumian's sword of destruction. Some were repelled by the Red Priest's team abilities, while
others merged into it.
What was the Dao?
The Dao was generations of perseverance, capable of moving mountains!
The Dao was a spark that could ignite a prairie fire!
The Dao was struggling against the heavens with endless joy!
The malevolent dragon roared, unable to unleash calamities or disasters within this domain.
It could only rely on abilities like Conquest and Charm.
It was restricted, and so was Lumian.
The destruction Lumian unleashed remained confined to the mirror world, unable to reach reality. Meanwhile, the dragon's true form was not within the mirror-it was sealed and
constrained.
The demons who had borrowed the River of Eternal Darkness's water, both their mirrored
selves and true forms, succumbed one after another to the erosion of the sefirah's power. Yet none showed pain; their expressions were calm and serene, with smiles of expectation and
hope.
The remaining demons, seeing the black-flaming sword of destruction draw ever closer to the
dragon, also smiled.
Come, strike us!
As more droplets of the River of Eternal Darkness merged, the giant flaming sword Lumian had created grew smaller and darker.
Soon, it transformed into a sword of normal size, one that any human could wield.
The sword, entirely dark, continued to contract as though compressing the concepts of time, space, creation, death, destruction, and renewal into a single point.
As the mirrored attack neared the dragon's domain, the Celestial Master, Holy Monk, and
others around the dragon-sealing well made Their phenomena increasingly evident, merging
them into the well.
With a crash, the blood-red waters surged, breaking chain after chain.
At the final moment, the high-ranking figures of the Western Continent lifted the seal,
allowing calamities and apocalypses to erupt in the dragon's domain.
Lumian's attack pierced through the mirror world, entering reality and striking the
malevolent dragon's heads.
Behind him, the demons dissipated one by one due to the erosion of sefirah's power. In front
of him, more demons crumbled under the force of destruction.
Seeing this, a surge of intense emotion erupted in Lumian's heart.
He shouted loudly, "Fight!"
Fighting meant giving your all, pressing forward unyieldingly!
Fight meant sacrificing with great ambition, daring to change the heavens and the earth!
"Fight!"
With this cry, Lumian drove the unstable, dark sword into the dragon's entwined necks. Immediately, a small, dark singularity formed there, tearing apart surrounding flesh, flames, steel, and bone, consuming all authority, concepts, and symbols.
The malevolent dragon's entire body arched back, emitting a soundless howl. Then, along with the sealing chains and the demons, It was devoured by the singularity.
The darkness destabilized, expanding into an explosion that released immense light and heat.
One by one, all of Lumian's Mirror Substitutions shattered, and his body appeared outlined on the edge of the domain.
He looked ahead, seeing only emptiness-nothing remained.
But at that moment, a frenzied, violent aura from the dragon began to pervade the void again.
Its massive body was reforming.
As a consciousness derived from the City of Calamity, Its spirit was indestructible. Once Its physical form was obliterated, It could soon be "reborn" from the City of Calamity. The Western Continent's cultivators had not killed the dragon back when they could seal It in
a domain where most of Its powers and calamities were nullified. They had understood it was
pointless!
Seeing this, Lumian wasn't disappointed-he had been prepared.
The second phase of the battle was about to begin-a pure clash of consciousness.