148 COI
Taking advantage of the malevolent dragon's scattered consciousness and unformed spirit, Lumian, who had just engaged in battle using the ritual and The Fool Klein's reality-bending ability, rapidly expanded his figure, "summoning" his physical body from within the
protected zone.
Almost simultaneously, Klein in the astral world created an opening in the grayish-white fog that blanketed the Western Continent.
With the Mother Goddess of Depravity fully accommodating the Brood Hive, even if the seal on the Western Continent were completely lifted, she would not currently destroy the continent. However, Her symbolic influence and natural power would still radiate outward, so Klein maintained the seal, merely opening a "door" that connected the interior to the outside for Lumian.
Lumian, now three-headed and six-armed, shot out of the protected zone and Teleported himself to the depths of the grayish-white fog, appearing above the dragon-sealing well.
He dove in, arriving beside his consciousness and spirit.
The two instantly overlapped.
Lumian grew immensely large, his three heads gazing in different directions while all six arms were raised.
Leaping out of the now-unsealed dragon-sealing well, he hovered above the bustling metropolis. Stretching his hands downward, he pulled at something heavy from a distance.
The people within the city suddenly felt the sky darken, and the ground trembled noticeably. An image of the city was forcibly extracted by Lumian from its physical form. Within this image, the citizens were grotesque-some were reduced to a single head dragging a bloody, skeletal spine; others were well-dressed but headless; and some were swollen, their features obscured...
This was originally intertwined with the actual metropolis, with secret doors and intersecting timelines connecting the two-
the City of Calamity!
Lumian's massive body sank abruptly, plunging into the extracted image of the city.
The City of Calamity shrank rapidly and bizarrely, entering Lumian's body and swiftly moving toward his brow.
Lumian intended to seize the moment, before the malevolent dragon's consciousness was fully reborn, to forcibly accommodate the City of Calamity-and then confront and merge with it!
The next second, the city's image froze at Lumian's brow.
His consciousness and spirit were immediately drawn into it.
He saw a staircase ascending to infinite heights, at the end of which lay a divine throne stained with dark red blood. On the steps, the dragon's body quickly took form, coiling to block his path forward.
...
In the real world.
Deep within the blood-red full moon, the pounding heartbeat grew intense again.
The nest-like peaks seemed to resonate, their sinking accelerating.
The accomodation of the Mother Goddess of Depravity with the Brood Hive progressed further, showing no signs of slowing.
Within the grayish-white fog directly beneath the blood-red moon, the "Madames" and "Ladies" under the core power of the Mother Goddess of Depravity stood one after another, turning their gaze toward their leader.
This figure, a beautiful woman with a full-moon-like face radiating maternal glory, spoke to her companions,
"We must return to the embrace of the Mother.
"She has mobilized more of the Chaos Primogenitor's power to accelerate Her fusion with the Brood Hive. We must return to Her embrace, restore Her power, and help alleviate Her burden."
Seeing confusion on their faces, the woman added,
"The Chaos Primogenitor is the Original Sin of the universe. Although merely Sequence o of the Valley God pathway, It carries significant symbolism.
"That symbolism represents the nascent, Original Creator of the next universe. Nurturing It is one of the Mother's most vital symbols and a key reason she remains a Pillar even after the Brood Hive's separation.
"Even as a Mother, She cannot overly wield Its symbolic powers without risking instability or further complications."
Understanding dawned on the Ladies and Madames, their expressions reflecting varying degrees of reverence born of the knowledge imparted.
Together, they chanted in unison,
"Praise be to you, Mother of All Things!
"Praise be to you, Eternal Evil!
"Praise be to you, the True Great Mother Goddess!"
Amidst their praises, these bestowed and Beyonders transformed into beams of red, black, or brown light, streaming one after another into the blood-red moon and merging with it.
A hidden corner of the World of Ruins' South Continent.
The bizarrely shaped Rose School of Thought Beyonders and Mother Tree of Desire followers flocked densely near an altar, their numbers overwhelming.
Atop the yellow, pyramid-like altar, a figure wrapped in bandages, thorns, and roses hung motionlessly, appearing to bind all curses and desires-on the verge of erupting.
Chained God Tolzna.
Following the Vortex incident and the descent of the crimson moon, this deity had effectively perished. His body, consciousness, and spirit were entirely corrupted by the Mother Tree of Desire, acting as Her proxy.
Now, He would serve as the primary sacrifice for this ritual, forcibly opening a passage with the Mother Goddess of Depravity's aid allow the Tree Desire escend within
the barrier. Of course, if the barrier shattered under the Mother Goddess's assault, It would simply return directly to the great existence, the Mother Tree of Desire.
When the sacrifices were ready, the thoughts of Suah and Tirié radiated outward from in front
of the Chained God.
"The ritual!
"Begin the ritual!"
...
Within the consciousness space corresponding to the City of Calamity.
Seeing the malevolent dragon's body rapidly forming, the three-headed, six-armed Lumian
suddenly disassembled.
He split into six consciousnesses and six figures.
These included his primary consciousness, Aurore's consciousness, Jenna's consciousness,
the dull and unresponsive chaotic vortex consciousness, Primordial Demoness Cheek's consciousness, and Blood Emperor Alista Tudor's consciousness.
Though not entirely fused, they had partially merged, cooperating, conflicting, or entangling to form a fragile balance-while portions corresponding to Omebella and Zedus had fully integrated with Cheek and Tudor, becoming indistinguishable.
In the real world, Lumian could not break this balance or separate these distinct consciousnesses. However, in this space, where they had a degree of independence, they
could unite or divide.
If Lumian succeeded in accommodating the City of Calamity, his consciousness would eventually form a unified whole-indivisible, even under similar circumstances. This was the distinction between dual-pathway true gods and great existences.
The six consciousnesses coalesced instantly. Lumian pulled the statue-like chaotic vortex face consciousness, along with Aurore's and Jenna's consciousnesses, a step back, disappearing from the dragon's impending attack. This left only Primordial Demoness Cheek
and Blood Emperor Alista Tudor in place.
Cheek gazed deeply into the Blood Emperor's eyes, then fixated longingly on the dragon, as if saying: Finally, this moment has come.
Behind Her appeared a figure clad in a black skeletal dress-the mirrored Oldest One's
feminine aspect.
Similarly, behind Blood Emperor Alista Tudor, the mirrored Oldest One's masculine aspect
emerged, clad in white armor.
In the real world, these figures were forbidden from meeting or merging. But in the consciousness space, Cheek and Tudor could briefly reunite, provided Lumian withdrew the
chaotic vortex consciousness.
This reunion could only occur once, as it would severely wound both Cheek and Tudor. Left unchecked, it could lead to the true birth of the mirrored Oldest One's consciousness. Lumian was now gambling on this symbolism to counter the dragon's consciousness, seizing
every moment!
Instantly, the malevolent dragon's consciousness transformed the space into an infinite, dark cosmos filled with scattered calamities.
Cheek and Tudor drew close, accompanied by their mirrored forms.
The entire "universe" froze, all calamities losing their vitality, their light and heat
extinguished, plunging into total silence.
Then, the most violent explosion erupted. Massive amounts of matter scattered outward,
forming stars, suns, seas, and various lifeforms.
The malevolent dragon's consciousness dissolved in the prior "freeze" and was shattered amidst the current "creation," reforming into disparate entities.
Once again, It dissipated, reconstituting within the City of Calamity, where It would recover
before long.
The figures of Cheek and Tudor merged into a single sphere, twisting and writhing as They struggled to fully integrate.
At this moment, a chaotic vortex face emerged from within, separating Them into four positions-north, south, east, and west.
Annihilation and creation became unstable.
The next second, Lumian, Aurore, and Jenna returned, towering as giants. They forcibly dragged the weakly reborn malevolent dragon's consciousness close to them.
Under these circumstances, the chaotic head of the malevolent dragon and the chaotic vortex face became strongly attracted, exerting a powerful pull toward convergence. They originated from the same place-they were one to begin with!
The chaotic vortex face and chaotic head merged, drawing each other to a central point to
fully unite. This act separated Cheek and Tudor, including Their mirrored forms.
The instability of annihilation and creation ceased abruptly. Having finally prevented the true birth of the mirrored Original Creator's consciousness,
Lumian, Aurore, and Jenna were forced to return to the body containing the chaotic vortex
face.
In doing so, they and the malevolent dragon were now inseparably close, breathing audible,
forms distinct.
Neither could evade. Neither could retreat!
-x-X-x-
The malevolent dragon's camel-like head, adorned with antler-like horns and covered in blood-red fur, lunged past the chaotic head and violently collided with Lumian's face, devouring it.
Lumian did not back down; he bit into the dragon's head, tearing at Its eyes, nose, and cheeks.
Iron-black scales began to protrude from Lumian's face and neck.
This was a symbolic manifestation of the struggle and merging of consciousness.
In such situations, creating calamities and causing severe disasters would inevitably lead to self-inflicted harm.
The dragon's other head and its snake-like, jade-white body entwined with the heads of Aurore and Jenna. They both Charmed and cursed one another, black flames-embodying destruction and ferocity-igniting and wrapping around them.
Having disrupted the malevolent dragon's consciousness twice and forcibly merged before it could fully recover, Lumian had finally reached an equal footing with his opponent.
But it still wasn't enough!
The malevolent dragon's consciousness would not remain weakened forever.
Amid their tearing and biting, Lumian clasped his two hands together, and a corresponding vision emerged in his mind.
Fuzzy, ethereal figures returned to the malevolent dragon from all directions, reintegrating into the once-unified consciousness.
They were the consciousnesses of the City of Calamity's Dao integrators that Lumian had previously separated.
Because they had been separated, they had avoided destruction in the earlier battle.
Now, Lumian used the power of a Visionary to reintegrate these separated consciousnesses back into the malevolent dragon, reuniting them and throwing Its consciousness into chaos. This stirred inclinations, emotions, and reactions within the dragon.
...
Thump! Thump!
The heartbeat deep within the blood-red full moon's Chaos Primogenitor continued to pound violently, causing the mountain-like Brood Hive to sink faster, now more than halfway submerged in crimson.
Thump! Thump!
The sound of the heartbeat resonated in a hidden corner of the World of Ruins on the Southern Continent.
Suah and Tirié, conducting Their ritual, seemed to have grown hearts of Their own, Their beats echoing the sound.
They watched as Beyonders and bestowed transformed into masses of flesh, merging into the Chained God Tolzna. The mummified figure wrapped in bandages, thorns, and roses rapidly sprouted into a tree of desire extending toward the astral world.
"The time has come!"
"The help from the Mother Goddess of Depravity has arrived!"
Excited, Suah and Tirié spread incomprehensible thoughts while merging into the tree atop the pyramid altar.
For these fervent beings, returning to the Mother's body was the highest honor!
The tree of desire grew rapidly, seemingly about to touch the astral world's barrier and tear a large hole into it. Suddenly, it tilted and twisted,
collapsing toward the symbols, concepts, and representations that formed Lord of Mysteries Klein.
This happened because the help from the Mother Goddess of Depravity had not arrived. Suah and Tirié had been deceived, misjudging the timing.
This was because They had been marked by Klein long ago!
When Lumian confronted the Primordial Demoness, the entire Tarot Club had mobilized to assist. But hidden within that action was an unknown purpose unbeknownst even to the Major Arcana card holders: to lure out the evil god Angels-Suah, Tirié, and others who had been hiding using the powers of the Mother Tree of Desire and the Mother Goddess of Depravity. At the time, Suah and Tirié had indeed escaped the entanglement of Angel of Time Pallez, Angel of the Holy Spirit Reinette, and Ma'am Hermit Cattleya. But unbeknownst to them, Klein, fully awakened as half a Great Old One, had silently followed, discovering the secret hiding place of the indulgence faction of the Rose School of Thought, other followers of the Mother Tree of Desire, and where Chained God Tolzna was.
If not for the fact that the Chained God had effectively perished and His Uniqueness had been deeply corrupted by the Mother Tree of Desire, which rendered purification impossible in the short term—as it would aid the Mother Tree of Desire establish a new, firm mystical connection with the Tenebrous World-Suah and Tirié would have long been Parasitized and controlled, leaving Them no chance of survival to this day.
However, Klein had taken precautions. The moment this area had any anomalies, he could sense it and respond accordingly.
Upon discovering that the Rose School of Thought was conducting a major ritual involving the Uniqueness to open the astral world's barrier and create a passage, Klein had refrained from stopping Them outright. Instead, he applied Fooling and Deceit, causing Suah and Tirié to misjudge the timing and redirect the ritual's target toward himself instead of the Mother Tree of Desire.
The next second, the tree extending into the astral world rapidly collapsed toward Lord of Mysteries Klein's location, instantly condensing into a bloody mass encapsulating the Chained God's Uniqueness.
Klein immediately Grafted this mass onto an area above the gray fog.
...
Within the consciousness space, the malevolent dragon, destabilized by the returning Dao integrators' consciousnesses of the City of Calamity, grew bewildered. Its madness subsided, and It no longer purely followed instinct.
Seizing the moment, Lumian activated another contract mark on his body-a new one
acquired a month ago.
His eyes turned dark, and the clothing manifesting from his consciousness billowed.
The malevolent dragon froze as if It had forgotten It was devouring and merging with Lumian's six consciousnesses.
Fooled!
Using a Contractee's power, Lumian had borrowed the Fooling ability from The Fool Klein. It could only be used twice!
If the malevolent dragon had remained purely instinct-driven, Fooling would not have been so effective-Deceit would have worked better. But Lumian had deliberately caused the City
of Calamity's Dao integrators to return to the dragon's consciousness, blending seamlessly as
a part of it.
Since they were already fused with the dragon, Its instincts harbored no resistance or
rejection toward them.
Taking advantage of the malevolent dragon being Fooled, and Its consciousness still in a
weakened state, Lumian's six arms worked in pairs to grasp the dragon's iron-black body, Its jade-white snake-like body, and the formless body supporting Its chaotic head.
Lumian's five faces twisted in unison. Manifesting as a colossal giant, he ripped the
malevolent dragon's three bodies apart with an ear-splitting tear.
Crimson flame-like blood sprayed everywhere, splattering onto the staircase ascending
infinitely high.
Lumian's central head opened wide and swallowed the dragon's iron-black body, including
Its head.
Two of his other arms pressed the malevolent dragon's jade-white body and beautiful head, forcefully shoving them between the closed eyes of Aurore and Jenna.
His chaotic vortex face then sucked in the majority of the malevolent dragon's chaotic head. The malevolent dragon resisted desperately, struggling against Lumian's merging attempt. It sought to create a calamity to destroy both Lumian and itself.
If successful, while Its-now, third-time-destroyed consciousness would enter a deep slumber within the City of Calamity, waiting centuries or more to reawaken or gradually revive, Its enemy would also die-completely and irreversibly.
At this moment, as Lumian devoured the dragon, he smiled, his thoughts echoing within the malevolent dragon's spirit: "It's useless. Even if I die, there's Medici and the City of Calamity's current cultivators. Once you're in a deep sleep, you won't be able to resist Their accommodation." This was a lie. Neither Medici nor the current strongest cultivators of the City of Calamity were in a position to accommodate it anytime soon. But such a lie sufficed to deceive the
dragon in its Fooled state.
The malevolent dragon hesitated.
Lumian followed with another thought, smiling. "I'm not the first sacrifice, nor will I be the last!
"You've seen my state. If you choose to merge with me, in a few minutes, when your consciousness fully recovers, I won't be able to maintain balance-you'll replace me!"
This was the truth.
...
Boom!
A thunderous heartbeat echoed from the depths of the blood-red moon's Chaos
Primogenitor.
Even with countless marionettes and avatars interfering, the mountain-shaped Brood Hive
sank heavily, completely engulfed in crimson.
This was the extremely special heartbeat of the Chaos Primogenitor about to be born.
It was fundamentally different from earlier beats, symbolizing the Chaos Primogenitor's imminent entry into reality. This moment heralded the emergence of a new Original Creator, a being even the Mother Goddess of Depravity could only summon once every "major month" ―or 2,160 years. Such a phenomenon could not be repeated without catastrophic consequences.
If She borrowed this special symbolism for less than 2,160 years, the Chaos Primogenitor would truly descend into the real world-a consequence the Mother Goddess of Depravity couldn't predict. All she knew was that it would be a devastating catastrophe for Her. Detecting the crisis, She instinctively ignored everything else and prioritized fully merging with the Brood Hive!
And afterward, even in a weakened state for centuries, she could still escape with the Brood
Hive, even if she failed to seize anything else.
Boom!
With the echo of that heartbeat and the manifestation of the special symbolism, the invisible
barrier of the astral world began to undergo ominous changes.
The barrier, originating from the Original Creator, vanished entirely-disappearing into thin
air as if its original master had recalled it!
Even Lord of Mysteries Klein was powerless to stop it.
The apocalypse had arrived.
And it came in this way.
At that moment, Klein performed two actions:
First, he extended slimy, eldritch tentacles into the thin gray fog and pulled the astral barrier
back from history, placing it in front of entities like the Circle of Inevitability and other Great
Old Dominators.
Of course, the historical projection of the astral barrier lacked the Oldest One's status-much
like the contradictions between historical projections and Uniquenesses. Without the Oldest One's status, this astral barrier could only hold for two or three seconds.
Second, Klein Grafted nearly all living beings and their corresponding environments from the Western Continent into the protected zones.
-x-X-x-
As soon as Klein completed these two actions, the blood-red full moon ascended into the sky.
Immediately afterward, the crimson liquid enveloping the moon surged upward, coalescing into a colossal figure in an instant.
This figure emitted an incredibly terrifying suction, drawing forth grayish-white fog from the infinite heights and revealing the crimson moon and the strange, brownish earth. It seemed as though these elements wished to return to their "mother's" embrace but were held back by the gray fog.
Similarly, the Beyonder characteristic of the Beauty Goddess within the protected zone broke free of its seal and approached the gray-white fog's edge.
Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence!
Although the Mother Goddess of Depravity was considerably weakened after accommodating the Brood Hive, She could still utilize the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence to directly reclaim the Uniqueness of the Mother pathway, the Uniqueness of the Moon pathway, and the corresponding Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics-as long as there was no opposition on the same level.
Taking advantage of the Mother Goddess of Depravity's focus on reclaiming Her possessions, Lord of Mysteries Klein lifted the seal over the entire Western Continent, causing the grayish- white fog there to vanish abruptly.
Now, only five sefirot watchers-the Celestial Master, the Holy Monk, and three others- remained on the Western Continent. They did not fear the natural dispersal of the Mother Goddess of Depravity's power or its accompanying symbolism.
As Klein removed the Western Continent's seal, the eight "stars" before him grew exceptionally massive, each eager to shatter the illusory barrier of historical fog and seize the sefirah and Uniqueness They craved.
This sight stirred a sense of despair and fear in both the God of Steam and Machinery, Stiano, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, Herabergen.
They could tangibly feel the oppressive aura emanating from the Great Old Dominators.
At this moment, Klein's voice echoed within Their minds: "There's still a chance."
The gods instinctively turned to Klein and saw the Lord of Mysteries, cloaked in a black trench coat, gloved in dark leather, and holding a star-encrusted cane, surrounded by grayish-white fog.
Carrying the weight of history, he stepped into the illusory barrier to confront the eight Great Old Dominators-beings as vast as stars.
The God of Knowledge and Wisdom, Herabergen, understood that Klein's "there's still a chance" was addressed to Them and the Archangels.
After Klein had fully awakened and become the true Lord of Mysteries, Beyonders below Sequence 1 and ordinary humans were no longer in danger.
If the situation became truly untenable, Klein could abandon the sefirot, Uniquenesses, and Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics and lead the planet's entire population of normal races to a remote, habitable edge of the universe. In the absence of conflicts of interest or instinctual desires, no Great Old Dominator would willingly oppose the Lord of Mysteries.
But for gods like Herabergen and Archangels outside the Mysteries pathway, escape was impossible!
Even if They lowered Their status—allowing avatars to flee-Their avatars would likely be corrupted once Their main bodies were devoured by the Great Old Dominators. There would be no means of preservation.
This was likely Their last chance!
Realizing the Lord of Mysteries could not hold off the eight Outer Deities for long,
Herabergen turned His gaze to the real world, toward the protected zones.
A liquid of pure chaos, encompassing all colors and possibilities, had seeped out, coalescing into a massive cross.
On this cross hung a figure, formed entirely of radiant light, with a head that retained a human shape adorned with a thick, pale golden beard.
A long shadow with five heads trailed behind Him, while a golden sun quietly hovered behind His head.
The figure opened His eyes, revealing a pair of clear, infant-like golden irises. He nodded toward the God of Knowledge and Wisdom Herabergen and Lord of Storms Leodero within the astral world. "Come, my Kings of Angels."
Amidst the reverberating, layered voice, Herabergen and Leodero were momentarily dazed. It was as if They had returned to the past, following the light and hope.
The God of Knowledge and Wisdom, Herabergen, flew out of the astral world, revealing His true form.
It was a brass dragon the size of a city, capable of expanding even larger.
The dragon's body resembled a soft, foldable tower of thick, illusory books, each bearing a brass eye.
The closer one moved toward the dragon's head, the darker and more ominous the layers of books and eyes became. At the dragon's brow, a nearly black brass vertical eye opened, gazing at the cross and the figure upon it.
The brass dragon suddenly ignited, enveloped in formless, colorless flames and quiet, eldritch black fire.
Dragging His elongated body and blazing tail, the dragon hurtled toward the figure on the
cross.
At that moment, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, Herabergen, chose self-destruction, merging with Grisha Adam.
This was not an entirely good thing-it had its dire consequences. Grisha Adam was still battling the Primordial God Almighty's will and was at a disadvantage, with no chance of becoming the Omnipotent and Omniscient One.
In the short term, Herabergen's residual consciousness would help Grisha Adam resist the Primordial God Almighty, forming a fragile new balance. This would allow Grisha Adam to better control the body and provide stronger protection for the protected zones after the Great Old Dominators shattered the barrier, ensuring it remained untainted by the Outer Deities' power and corruption until Lord of Mysteries Klein seized the opportunity to transfer everyone during the chaos.
In the long term, however, integrating the White Tower pathway's Uniqueness at this moment would enhance the Primordial God Almighty's will and spirit, accelerating His recovery-significantly disadvantaging Grisha Adam in Their struggle.
Within the protected zone, Herabergen, clad in a plain white robe threaded with brass threads, looked skyward and sighed deeply.
In the astral world, the Lord of Storms, Leodero, appeared in human form-a stern middle- aged man clad in black armor and wielding a trident.
He glanced at the Western Continent, illuminated by scarlet moonlight, its entry sealed, and snorted at the Evernight Goddess, Amanises, and the God of Steam and Machinery, Stiano.
"The Storm will not destroy itself!
"Nor will it surrender!"
Crackling sounds erupted as the King of the Skies, Emperor of the Seas, Lord of Calamity, and God of Storms transformed into layers of entangled, ball lightning. He shot down from the astral world at near-light speed, straight toward the crimson moon and the colossal figure. The storm illuminated the skies, illuminating the entire world.
...
Within the consciousness space-
Boom!
Lumian and the malevolent dragon both heard that peculiar heartbeat.
With the former severely damaged, the dimmed Cheek and Tudor faces grew clear once more, and his central chaotic vortex face began to spin faster. Meanwhile, the dragon's two lateral heads instinctively sought to merge but were blocked by Lumian's mouth and Its own chaotic
head.
Now!
Taking advantage of the moment, Lumian, in his colossal form, forcibly swallowed the dragon's iron-black body whole.
Under this influence, the beautiful head that had been trying to merge with its other half ceased resisting and fused with the faces of Aurore and Jenna. This brought back the imprints of Aurore's and Jenna's past selves left in the mirror, which swiftly repaired the corresponding fragments of their souls.
Lumian fully accommodated the malevolent dragon.
Immediately, he felt a torrent of madness, ferocity, and destructive intent rampaging within
him. These were partially absorbed by the chaotic vortex face, partially drawn away by the lingering consciousness of the City of Calamity Dao integrators, and partially suppressed by the combined wills of Lumian, Aurore, and Jenna.
On both sides of Lumian's body, bulges began to form and writhe rapidly, each developing into a new body. These new bodies were connected to his original flesh, tightly adhered, and
partially fused.
On the right was a purely female figure clad in a sacred white robe, her hands milky and ethereal. Her head featured Aurore at the front and Jenna at the back, able to rotate freely in any direction, unrestrained by a neck.
On the left was a half-male, half-female body, with a head composed of the Cheek face, the chaotic vortex face, and Alista Tudor's face. It wielded a charred banner in its hands.
In the center was Lumian himself, adorned with long, blood-red hair and iron-black eyes. A prominent design of a true dragon from the Western Continent was etched between his brows. Suppressing the madness and will of the malevolent dragon, Lumian turned his head to the
right.
Aurore and Jenna's eyelashes quivered lightly before their eyes opened in unison, revealing
smiles.
Lumian exhaled suddenly, a mixture of relief, emotion, and regret in his mind as he communicated telepathically: "It really is possible to resurrect... in this way...
"Unfortunately, it won't last more than a few minutes."
Lumian meant that the balance within his body would not hold for more than a few minutes.
This balance was predicated on the weakened state of the malevolent dragon's consciousness and will. Once the malevolent dragon recovered, the balance would inevitably collapse.
The two types of Uniqueness in his current body were closely linked to the mirrored Original Creator, counterbalanced by the chaotic vortex face corresponding to the Primordial God Almighty. This trifecta of forces maintained a delicate equilibrium.
Although Lumian, Aurore, and Jenna's bodies had achieved corresponding status levels, and their wills had been sufficiently strengthened, they were only supported by two Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics each.
In this situation, should the malevolent dragon's consciousness awaken, Lumian, Aurore, and
Jenna would have little means to resist-unless the Primordial God Almighty actively sought resurrection within the chaotic vortex face, forming a larger and more stable framework.
But alas, no such fortune would come to pass.
This was the consequence of being forcibly driven and filled to reach this point.
With her hair turned black, her eyes restored to deep brown, and her appearance and charm
elevated to Above the Sequences, Aurore listened to Lumian's sentiments. Her expression remained calm, and she smiled gently, her voice soft.
"When I died in Cordu Village, I did feel wronged, angry, and resentful. But when you became a Demoness of Unaging and I began to sense everything around me, to perceive what was happening, I gradually came to terms with it. Death isn't always a bad thing.
"When I learned about the Dragon Lock and its story, and when I saw the actions of those souls just
now, I found even greater peace. Our predecessors and forebears could sacrifice themselves; so can I.
Death can be as light as a feather or as heavy as a mountain. I am willing to accept the destiny that awaits me and to act accordingly."
The head rotated, and Jenna's increasingly radiant face turned to Lumian. With a smile, she
said, "When I killed Hugues Artois, I thought, 'Even if I die, I must avenge my mother and those victims. That bastard can't keep laughing.'
"When I advanced to become a Demoness of Unaging, I thought, 'Even if I die, I must save you. You still
have unfulfilled wishes.'
"Now, it brings to mind something Franca once joked about:
""'Would you rather be a coward for a lifetime or a hero for five minutes?'
"To die with you and Aurore to save everyone-I think that's the most romantic thing in the world."
As Lumian listened, his heart gradually calmed, his self-destructive tendencies easing. He lifted his head to gaze at the blood-stained throne high on the steps, his smile radiant as
he said, "Then let's complete the final step of accommodation."
...
In the real world.
The mass of entangled lightning approached the blood-red moon and the colossal figure at
near-light speed.
It tore through the void but quickly froze beside the crimson full moon. Each strand of its
light was tainted scarlet, gaining new life as they detached and scattered.
The terrifying lightning mass rapidly disintegrated.
Its two brightest remnants were guided by Klein through Grafting toward the cross above a
protected zone.
In the next moment, the explosion and shockwave from the lightning unfurled, erupting with
a deafening roar. The natural light of the crimson moon shattered and dissipated, revealing a
breach.
In the astral world, the Evernight Goddess, Amanises, holding a golden bird-shaped ornament in Her hands, stepped forward, leaving a single remark for the God of Steam and Machinery, Stiano, "It's our turn to stake our lives."
The God of Steam and Machinery, Stiano, was about to follow when He suddenly sensed
something and turned His gaze to the heights of the real world.
A deep crimson meteor inexplicably appeared, dragging a long tail of flame as it plunged toward the blood-red moon and the colossal figure.
The entire sky and world were engulfed in crimson fire.
In the Year 1360, as July faded to its final days, crimson rained from the heavens.
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As the crimson meteor descended, the entire world outside the protected zones erupted in flames. Across the cosmos, catastrophic disasters across various star systems momentarily froze before either intensifying or subsiding.
Behind the Great Old Dominators attacking the astral barrier, hand-drawn black holes and their accretion disks materialized. The energy seas, depicted like paintings, quickly receded, plunging into cold, deathly silence.
Numerous calamities descended upon this place.
These calamities were deliberately engineered by Lumian as symbolic manifestations triggered during his full accommodation of the City of Calamity and his advancement to the Origins of Disaster, Calamity of Destruction.
He harbored no illusions that these indiscriminate calamities could seriously harm the Great Old Dominators. His sole aim was to sow chaos, giving Mr. Fool a brief respite.
At that moment, the sound of plucked strings suddenly resonated. The black hole and its accretion disk, already like hand-drawn illustrations, grew thinner and smaller, losing their conceptual weight.
The black hole, now a true painting, instinctively tore at the dimensions bearing it, attempting to absorb them within and alter the current state.
A massive, terrifying mouth abruptly appeared, biting down on the "canvas" carrying the black hole and devouring it whole.
Multiple abstract stomachs emerged, expanding and contracting as they fiercely struggled against the undigested entities.
Primordial Hunger, the symbol of devouring, an insatiable convergence, the cleanser of all things!
Other Outer Deities also took measures to suppress the calamities erupting behind Them.
Meanwhile, the crimson meteor was swallowed by the muddy radiance emanating from the blood-red moon.
The ocean of bloodstained light alternated between destruction and rebirth, gradually slowing the meteor's approach toward the colossal figure.
However, beyond this sea of blood, everything else was set aflame by the crimson meteor. Even the moonlight that once Illuminated the Western Continent was burned away, vanishing completely.
Seizing this opportunity-taking advantage of the brief chaos among the Great Old Dominators and the reduced pressure on the illusory barrier-the Lord of Mysteries, Klein, sent forth a projection of himself and turned his gaze toward the protected zones.
Within the protected zone, Trier remained tranquil. On the terrace, Queen Mystic Bernadette had already taken out her crown adorned with dark gemstones, holding it in both hands.
The crown abruptly flew into the air, leaving the protected zone and ascending into the skies over the Western Continent.
Accompanying it were the brass-bound book descending from above the gray fog and two beams of light, one from behind the cross and the other from within the protected zone.
In the blink of an eye, they arrived before the magnificent stone door standing amidst the clouds, falling into the hands of a towering figure crowned with an emperor's diadem and velled by cascading tassels.
The figure nodded toward the astral world before turning away, returning to the summit of the thirty-three heavens and seating Himself on the throne of the Celestial Thearch.
He immediately placed the crown adorned with dark gemstones atop His head, overlapping it with the emperor's crown.
His hands clutched the brass-bound book tightly, while the two beams of light spiraled for a second before merging into His body.
Within the protected zone, the disappearance of the Black Emperor's Uniqueness prompted Queen Mystic Bernadette to let out a soft sigh.
This had been one of Klein's true purposes when Lumian visited her with a prophecy as an excuse.
Through the Genie's description of the urgency of the situation and His suggestion to temporarily strengthen the Nation of Disorder, Queen Mystic Bernadette immediately understood Mr. Fool's intent.
He intended to borrow the Black Emperor Uniqueness.
At that moment, Bernadette had already made her decision.
Behind her, the figure of Empress Roselle, wearing a luxurious golden crown, materialized. With a complicated tone, She said, "As long as the order and rules he established remain, he can still be resurrected."
Bernadette murmured to herself, "Can someone with the Nation of Disorder, with all its Uniquenesses and Beyonder characteristics, truly become a Great Old Dominator?"
"No, the Nation of Disorder's consciousness is interwoven with too many external spirits. It's not a complete birth and remains chaotic. Even with all its components, it cannot undergo a fundamental transformation. It may take decades or centuries for a new, unified consciousness to emerge, enabling the Shadow of Order to truly manifest in reality.
"The only way to instantly elevate the Nation of Disorder to the level of a Great Old Dominator is to unseal and release Genie. However, what Genie might do after escaping His seal is entirely unpredictable.
"For now, the Lord of Mysteries can only temporarily enhance the Nation of Disorder to a state close to that of a Great Old One, allowing it to play a role in the upcoming battle," Empress Roselle explained plainly.
She paused for a moment before adding, "Even if the Nation of Disorder births a new consciousness and becomes the Shadow of Order before his resurrection, with the Lord of Mysteries' help, he could still revive through the rules. However, he would only be able to reclaim two portions of the Prince of Abolition Beyonder characteristics."
Queen Mystic Bernadette turned to Empress Roselle and fell silent for a moment before asking. "And what about you?"
A look of contentment and solace appeared on Empress Roselle's face. "If the apocalypse passes, the mirror world should have a relatively normal ruler. By then, the reflection world within the mirror will no longer be dark."
…
Following the Lord of Storms Leodero's suicidal attack and the descent of the Calamity of Destruction, the Mother Goddess of Depravity's blockade over the Western Continent was completely broken.
Evernight Goddess Amanises and the God of Steam and Machinery Stiano seized the opportunity to descend from the astral world to the Dragon Lock Tower.
The former wore a layered yet unadorned black classical gown, Her face shrouded in a veil, ethereal and graceful. The latter appeared as a middle-aged man seemingly composed of numerous depictions of civilizations, which finally coalesced into a man in his prime.
Evernight Goddess Amanises nodded at the sect master of the Haoli lineage, communicating telepathically. "Let us begin."
The Haoli sect master closed His eyes, and a broad, dark, colorless river flowed out of the void, reaching the Evernight Goddess.
Within the illusory dark waters, figures dressed like the Haoli sect master appeared, floating and sinking.
Among them, the most lucid was a figure wearing a rusty iron crown, with pale whiskers fluttering at His chin-the Underworld Daoist.
Evernight Goddess Amanises pointed at the silently flowing River of Eternal Darkness and spoke with Her mind.
"Let the River of Eternal Darkness bear witness. I, Amanises, pledge to strengthen the Haoli lineage, ensuring all disciples achieve balance between internal and external cultivation and attain characteristics. Should I break this oath, I shall suffer a backlash from the sefirah, and I shall sink eternally to the river's depths!"
Having already reached an agreement, the Underworld Daoist nodded slightly. He extended His pale right hand, with a texture like jade yet marred by cracks oozing yellow pus or sprouting white feathers, and placed it atop the Evernight Goddess's head.
"You shall be sect master!"
With these words, streams of radiance rose from the River of Eternal Darkness, weaving into complex, orderly symbols that entered Amanises's body.
Amanises found Herself standing in the broad, dark river, where the shadows and bones of past Haoli sect masters gnawed at Her arms, back, and soul.
Already in partial control of a tributary of the River of Eternal Darkness, Amanises remained calm, resisting the chaotic consciousness infused with the spirits of countless Dao integrators.
The straight, illusory river flowed through Her body and emerged from the other side.
…
God of Steam and Machinery Stiano sat cross-legged before the Celestial Master. The latter's intent echoed in His mind:
"You have two choices:
"First, acknowledge me as your master and join my sect. I will grant you the Supreme Clarity Talisman and pass down the position of Celestial Master to you, allowing you to control what you call the Knowledge Moor. However, this carries a risk..."
As the intent reverberated, silhouettes began to emerge in the moor behind the Celestial Master. They were dressed in feathered robes and high crowns, their faces either hideous or decayed, exuding intense malice.
"They are the Celestial Masters and accomplished cultivators of past generations.
"Under the influence of the Unborn Ancient Mother every Celestial Master since the first Celestial Master's integration with the Dao must possess corresponding bloodlines and complete cultivation.
"You lack these. Through the Supreme Clarity Talisman, I can help you accommodate the Knowledge Moor in a short time. But afterward, you will face backlash. Whether you can endure and resolve the resentment of past Celestial Masters and accomplished cultivators or avoid being drawn into the moor to become one of the wandering spirits - I do not know.
"The second choice is to acknowledge me as your master and join my sect. I will grant you the Three Caverns and Five Thunders Talisman.
"After corresponding with Fellow Daoist Zhou, I have improved the Three Sovereigns Calamity Dispelling Formation based on the experiences of predecessors. With this, you can join me as a true disciple in powering the formation. You will lend me your power, allowing me to integrate with the Dao briefly to combat the vile demons from beyond."
In an instant, the Celestial Master's thoughts were fully understood by God of Steam and Machinery Stiano through the infusion of knowledge.
In the same manner, Stiano conveyed His question:
"Can either method result in the emergence of a temporary Great Old One?"
The Celestial Master, holding His horsetail whisk, shook His head.
"Neither. We both still lack time, Unlike the new master of the Haoli lineage, you have not yet preemptively gained partial control of the Dao.
"These two choices can only bring us close to the Dao, not fully integrate into it."
Knowing time was pressing, God of Steam and Machinery Stiano deliberated briefly before kneeling to give His answer: "I am willing to acknowledge you as my master and become part of the formation."
The Celestial Master seemed disappointed, as though His hoped-for liberation had not been achieved.
He pressed His horsetail whisk against Stiano's shoulder.
"In the interest of urgency, we will simplify the rites to granting a title and talisman.
"From this day forth, your Dao name shall be:
"True Blessing."
-x-X-x-
Within the solemn Buddhist land, adorned with glazed and amber decorations, countless Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and Wisdom Kings sat atop Mount Sumeru, attentively listening to the great Buddha whose golden body filled the space between heaven and earth, delivering profound teachings.
In that moment, vibrant clouds illuminated the sky, flowers fell like rain, and golden lotuses blossomed from the ground.
Suddenly, two silvery streaks of light flew in from the outer world, landing on either side of the great Buddha and transforming into distinct figures.
To the left of the great Buddha's golden body appeared a boy of about eight or nine years old, dressed in a child's formal suit with a bow tie, his baby-fat face framed by medium-length silvery hair.
To the right stood a young man, draped in a linen robe, his features soft and elegant, and his long silver hair flowing freely.
These were none other than Will Auceptin, the Angel of Mercury from the Church of The Fool, and Ouroboros, the Angel of Fate from the Aurora Order. Will accommodated the Uniqueness of the Fate pathway and held a Sequence 1 Snake of Mercury Beyonder characteristic, while Ouroboros had two Snake of Mercury Beyonder characteristics.
As soon as Will Auceptin and Ouroboros appeared, the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and Wisdom Kings who had been intently listening to the Buddha Ancestor's teachings simultaneously turned their gazes upon them. Their expressions betrayed greed and yearning, as though all of them wished to draw near, sniff deeply, or take a bite.
On either side of the great Buddha's face, two mouths suddenly split open, revealing gleaming, razor-sharp teeth.
Clang!
The sound of a bell echoed from infinite heights, and time froze for a second.
The great Buddha regained a dignified and compassionate expression, and the hideous mouths on His face disappeared.
Seizing this moment, the Holy Monk within the Dragon Lock Tower returned to the Buddhist kingdom.
He glanced around, pressed His hands together, and softly recited, 'Merciful Buddha.'
As His voice reverberated, the Holy Monk transitioned from corporeal to ethereal, taking a single step to merge with the great Buddha's golden body.
The great Buddha glanced to the left and right, speaking in a calm yet majestic voice,
'I thank you both for your efforts.'
Seeing this, Will Auceptin quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Imitating the great Buddha's posture, he crossed his legs and sat down to the Buddha's left, sitting side by side.
Ouroboros maintained a serene expression as He also assumed a lotus position on the Buddha's right.
Immediately afterward, the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and Wisdom Kings below transformed into beams of various-colored lights. They swiftly returned to the great Buddha's golden body, merging into one entity.
All Buddhas converge to their origin.
While everyone had a Buddha-nature, there was only one Buddha in the world.
…
Meanwhile, the Master of the Shadow Cottage departed the Dragon Lock Tower, returning to the boundless Tenebrous World hidden deep beneath the earth.
Here, another figure already Naboredisley, His ice-blue eyes piercing beneath the brim of His semi-tall hat.
'You're unwilling to accept this fate too, aren't you?' the Master of the Shadow Cottage said, smiling as He looked over.
'Would you be content if you were in my shoes?' Naboredisley retorted.
Master of the Shadow Cottage shook His head.
'If they want to consume us, they'll have to pay a price.'
'Fellow Daoist, we've known each other spiritually for a long time. How about collaborating this time?'
'I came here precisely to cooperate!' Naboredisley's voice suddenly grew louder, as though He had returned to His Farbauti era.
'Haha!' The Master of the Shadow Cottage laughed heartily, and together with Farbauti, They stepped into the pitch-black, shadowy world without hesitation.
…
In the real world.
As Lumian, in the form of a crimson meteor, drew closer to the true body of the Mother Goddess of Depravity, his progress became increasingly arduous.
Finally, he saw the colossal figure clearly.
It was as if countless birthing organs were haphazardly piled together, with swirling smoke and crimson moonlight intertwining to form an accretion-disk-like extension that served as clothing.
Yet, this massive figure had a head resembling that of a human woman. Her features—facial structure, long brown hair, and crimson eyes—were flawless, embodying the very concept of 'beauty.' She was the symbol of beauty in the universe, radiating an unmistakable maternal brilliance.
At that moment, even Lumian hesitated to strike.
However, attracted by beauty, Cheek's face, Aurore, and Jenna—driven by Lumian's will—used Charm on the Mother Goddess of Depravity, seemingly seeking to draw closer to Her.
As a result, the Mother Goddess of Depravity did not immediately attack Lumian, who stood in a three-bodied, three-headed, six-armed form.
Yet Her symbolic nature continued to influence the surrounding area. As Lumian drew nearer, he quickly felt the effects of New Life.
The weakened consciousnesses within him began to experience a New Life.
Cheek's consciousness and Tudor's consciousness gained new life. The will of the Primordial God Almighty gained new life. The divided consciousness of the mirrored Original Creator gained new life. Even the consciousness of the malevolent dragon gained new life!
With the malevolent dragon's rapid recovery, the suppression exerted by Lumian, Aurore, and Jenna's wills on Her faltered.
What had been a fragile balance capable of lasting several minutes seemed poised to collapse immediately under the effect of New Life, with unforeseeable consequences.
In the face of these changes, Lumian neither feared nor panicked. Instead, he seized the opportunity to break free from the allure of beauty. Smiling, he lifted his head to gaze at the astral world.
Lord of Mysteries Klein, who was now guarding the astral world alone, withdrew the illusory barrier and turned toward the real world. Like a Magician about to perform, he raised both hands.
He did not immediately transfer humanity from the protected zones. Such an action would undoubtedly cause a significant commotion.
While it would be simple for Klein to shield a few dozen or a few hundred people and quietly move them to the edge of the universe without the Great Old Dominators' knowledge, the Great Old Dominators would not be fools to let the billions of surviving humans escape unnoticed.
Of course, if there were only one or two Great Old Dominators outside the barrier, Klein might have had a way to briefly reduce Them to fools. But now, eight of them stood watch.
During a previous Tarot Club meeting, The Magician Fors had speculated that a Pillar could contend with two Great Old Ones. Gehrman Sparrow had remained noncommittal at the time, still a proxy. Now fully awakened as the Lord of Mysteries, Klein's answer was: that judgment was both correct and incorrect.
'Correct' if confronted by Great Old Dominators with specific symbols capable of countering the Lord of Mysteries' abilities—Marionettes, Parasites, Blink, etc. In such cases, Klein could only rely on the unique symbolism of a Pillar to contend with two at most.
'Incorrect' in that, in the absence of such countermeasures, there was no fundamental difference between battling two or eight Great Old Ones.
Among the Great Old Dominators outside the barrier, several possessed symbolisms that countered Klein's abilities. Therefore, he dared not be overconfident. He intended to wait until the Great Old Dominators rushed in impatiently after the barrier cracked and plunged the situation into chaos, allowing him to secretly evacuate the beings within the protected zones.
At that moment, the Great Old Dominators would be fixated on the sefirot and Uniquenesses, disregarding everything else. Even if They noticed Lord of Mysteries Klein's secretive actions, They would not expend any effort to interfere.
Yet, this plan was not foolproof. Certain Great Old Dominators with relevant symbols might secretly inform Their followers to disrupt the evacuation.
The Great Old Dominators Themselves had no interest in Beyonder characteristics below Sequence 1, but Their followers might think differently!
Hearing the cracking of the illusory barrier behind him, Klein shifted his gaze to the Mother Goddess of Depravity and the Origins of Disaster Lumian.
Lumian, now fully displaying his three-bodied, three-headed, six-armed form, gazed at the Mother Goddess of Depravity, who had just escaped Charm. Half in appreciation, half in jest, he laughed.
This is exactly what I've been waiting for—to let you impose New Life on me!
The Charm was to ensure that you wouldn't develop vigilance or spiritual forewarning, allowing the New Life influence to occur naturally!
As long as I am not dead, the symbolism of the Mother Goddess of Depravity within me remains valid!
Previously, my rank was too low, and I lacked the corresponding elements. Using this symbolism, I could only disguise myself as you to provoke the Brood Hive's rebellious will through Mr. Fool's Fooling. It was difficult to truly harm you.
But now, I am an Above the Sequences great existence, differing from you only in the unique symbolism of a Pillar.
And the New Life you naturally imposed just activated the feminine and masculine halves of the mirrored Original Creator within me. Isn't this equivalent to me also nurturing the Original Creator?
This is remarkably similar to your nurturing of the Chaos Primogenitor, the Original Creator of the next universe. The most critical corresponding element is now complete!
The Genie previously hinted at using my uniqueness and Mr. Fool's symbolism. Combined with the warning about your impending accommodation of the Brood Hive, it became clear: You possess a unique symbol of limited use pointing toward the Original Creator, one I can align with!
After Mr. Fool's full awakening, he did not rush to become the Lord of Mysteries, deliberately deceiving you while roaming the continents and gathering concealed truths through your followers.
Thus, I've come straight for you, waiting for your instinctive and indiscriminate influence to awaken the mirrored Original Creator within me!
Moreover, with the Brood Hive assimilated by you, Lugano—who once belonged to you—now pledges allegiance to me, and the Phoenix Egg deep within the Underworld will soon be swallowed by me. We are more alike than ever.
You are the Great Mother who nurtures the Oldest One, Omebella, and Zedus. So am I!
In the blink of an eye, Lumian, in his giant form, conjured the Grafted Phoenix Egg into his hand and swallowed it in one gulp.
Then, he brought his six arms together, forming a massive black-flame sword bound with destruction and chaos, and drove it into his own body.
At the same time, he looked at the Mother Goddess of Depravity and smiled brilliantly.
Now, I am equivalent to you. Killing me equals killing you!
-x-X-x-
The Mother Goddess of Depravity, having broken free from Charm, began to change as soon as Lumian took hold of the Phoenix Egg.
Her colossal body rapidly collapsed inward toward Her abdomen, as though transforming into a nest or womb, reverting Herself to an embryonic state for rebirth.
This process would reset all symbols associated with Her, except those intrinsic to Her being, erasing external mystical correspondences.
Lumian would no longer be able to exploit the mystical law of similarity to equate himself with Her, thereby killing Her by killing himself.
Previously, the Mother Goddess of Depravity had refrained from using this method to rid Herself of symbolic influences for two reasons. First, She had just descended into the barrier by leveraging Her symbolic powers when she was immediately Fooled and Deceived by The Fool Klein using the core aggregation instinct of godhood. She was then guided into the grayish-white fog sealing the Western Continent. Her focus was on reclaiming the Brood Hive and She did not wish to reset Herself and lose useful symbolisms. Second, during the process of accommodating the Brood Hive, rebirth was impossible, as it would reset Her progress to zero.
As the Mother Goddess of Depravity began to collapse and reset Herself, Lord of Mysteries Klein, in the astral world, abandoned the maintenance of the illusory barrier. Listening to its creaks as it neared shattering, he raised his hands, revealing a massive door of light tinged with bluish-black hues deep within the shadows of his black trench coat.
Sefirah Castle!
Klein was now fully utilizing one of the core symbols of the Lord of Mysteries.
With a resounding clang, the Mother Goddess of Depravity's collapse and rebirth slowed noticeably. What would have been instantaneous now required two or three seconds to complete.
Change!
This was one of the core symbols of the Lord of Mysteries: control over change-slowing, accelerating, halting, or introducing errors into transformations. The Mother Goddess of Depravity's attempt to revert to an embryonic state and reset Her symbolisms fell under this domain.
Previously, Klein had not used the symbolism of Change to influence the Mother Goddess of Depravity's accommodation of the Brood Hive because doing so required full exertion of Sefirah Castle's power. At the time, he needed to maintain the barrier and contend with the other eight Great Old Dominators. Furthermore, the Mother Goddess of Depravity, having invoked the unique symbolism of the Chaos Primogenitor, was in a prolonged state of weakness that couldn't be recovered using New Life.
This made any influence over Her transformations significantly more effective.
With the Mother Goddess's collapse into an embryonic state delayed, Lumian-the Origins of Disaster-smiled brilliantly yet resolutely as he drove the massive black-flame sword, imbued with destruction and madness, into his own body. This act embodied the symbolism of disaster.
In an instant, flames of destruction erupted from within him, consuming his body, the consciousness of Cheek, Alista Tudor's consciousness, the divided halves of the mirrored Original Creator, the remnants of the Primordial God Almighty's spirit, the consciousness of the malevolent dragon, and even Lumian's own consciousness along with those of Aurore and Jenna.
Lumian's body began to collapse catastrophically, nearing its annihilation and return to chaos.
To bring disaster upon oneself and embrace destruction was the truest embodiment of the Origins of Disaster, the Calamity of Destruction.
Amidst the silent, roaring black flames, Lumian turned his head, exchanging smiles with Aurore and Jenna, both of whom bore expressions of pain.
He then looked back at the Mother Goddess of Depravity, his face twisted yet serene with delight.
He saw black flames, imbued with destruction and chaos, erupting within the crimson-glowing Mother Goddess. Her semi-collapsed colossal body crumbled layer by layer, ejecting various birthing organs that were swiftly reduced to ash in the enveloping Fire of Destruction.
Having ascended to become the Origins of Disaster, Lumian no longer required Mr. Fool's assistance to fully harness symbolic powers, especially those capable of bringing calamity!
The Mother Goddess, flawless in Her beauty – a concept that equaled beauty itself-threw Her head back slightly and let out a banshee-like scream filled with agony.
Many of the Kleins surrounding the area withered instantly, collapsing into death and returning to the embrace of Mother Earth.
The entire planet lost its vitality, the stars in the sky dimmed, and tremors reverberated throughout the boundless cosmos.
Reality quaked.
The accelerated collapse of Lumian's consciousness and body gained a boost from death and desolation, further amplifying his destruction. This, in turn, worsened the Mother Goddess of Depravity's collapse, leaving numerous remaining organs lifeless.
As the Mother Goddess of Depravity was reduced to a thin, womb-like shell surrounding Her colossal form, the black flames of chaos and destruction extinguished or could no longer penetrate deeper.
The Indestructible!
This was the Mother Goddess of Depravity's symbolism of Indestructibility. Her Indestructibility nature meant that, like the Primordial God Almighty and The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, Her spirit would never be eradicated and would gradually recover over time, It also represented the indestructibility of Her soul and body.
The Mother Goddess of Depravity would never perish - unless She encountered the Original Creator, who could make the impossible happen, or the fourth Pillar symbolizing the end to everything was born, or She overextended the Chaos Primogenitor's unique symbolism.
Of course, Klein and Lumian had never aimed to truly kill the Mother Goddess of Depravity, aware of Her honorific title and Indestructibility as The Indestructible. Their plan had always been to severely wound Her and drive Her out of the astral barrier.
At this moment, the Mother Goddess of Depravity, having used the Chaos Primogenitor's symbolism and entered a prolonged state of weakness, slowed Her recovery from the influence of New Life. Simultaneously, Lumian's exploitation of symbolic correspondence and the calamity symbol had dealt Her a devastating blow, fully achieving the first stage of a Magician's performance plan.
The problem, however, was that the second stage could never be realized, as the astral barrier was no more.
Lord of Mysteries Klein remained calm and unaffected by disappointment. Raising his star-studded cane, he infused the bluish-black door of light's projection with his will.
His eyes reflected the image of the Mother Goddess of Depravity reduced to Her last organ and embryonic state.
Banishment and Sealing!
Previously, attempting to extract a Pillar in reality from the planet would have been nearly impossible. But now, with the Mother Goddess of Depravity severely wounded, an opportunity had emerged!
As starlight fell, the Mother Goddess of Depravity's distorted form changed.
She transformed into a colossal, ethereal oak tree, rooted deeply in reality, supporting the heavens, and intertwining Herself with the fabric of the real universe.
Pillar symbolism!
The Mother Goddess of Depravity invoked Her dominion over reality, embodying the symbolism of a Pillar.
The immense, incomprehensible oak tree trembled violently, yet remained firmly rooted in reality, unable to be banished or sealed.
A wilderness unfurled around it as a greenish mistletoe-covered branch broke from the treetop, flying above Lumian's black-flame-wreathed, crumbling form, and raining down dew-like droplets.
The Fire of Destruction engulfing Lumian were swiftly extinguished, and his collapsing body was halted by the effects of New Life. Among the consciousnesses within him, only his, Aurore's, and Jenna's were revitalized, restoring balance for a few more minutes.
At that moment, the Mother Goddess of Depravity chose to save him!
Of course, saving him was also an act of self-preservation.
She did not want Lumian to die prematurely before the symbolism was removed, worsening Her weakened state. Nor did She want him to lose balance and unleash something potentially terrifying, which could reflect through their symbolic connection and lead to the Chaos Primogenitor's emergence in the real world.
As the dew-like droplets fell, the immense oak tree supporting the world leveraged Klein's banishment powers and vanished from its location.
The Pillar in reality, the Mother Goddess of Depravity, left the planet and reappeared beyond the solar system.
She transformed into a crimson liquid, enveloping a gas giant, and began reverting to Her embryonic state, initiating New Life to reset Her form.
This time, though no influence was exerted by Lord of Mysteries Klein's symbolic power, the severe wounds and compounded weakness delayed Her recovery. The symbolism of destruction seemed to obstruct New Life, carefully avoiding agitating the now-dormant Chaos Primogenitor.
From a great distance, the crimson planet continued to gaze at the location containing parts of Herself. While severing symbolic connections and healing Her wounds, She patiently awaited a new opportunity - when the remaining Great Old Dominators descended into fierce competition, weakening or suppressing the Lord of Mysteries, and She could return to reclaim all and gain even more.
Lord of Mysteries Klein did not pursue the Mother Goddess of Depravity to strike Her again, and Lumian did not exploit symbolic connections for further self- destruction. Both understood the Mother Goddess of Depravity's Indestructible nature. Severely wounding and driving Her away for a period was already their anticipated outcome. Any additional efforts risked unforeseen consequences, such as awakening the Chaos Primogenitor.
More pressing matters loomed as Klein heard the faint but definitive sound of shattering behind him.
The last barrier he had pulled from the fog of history had completely collapsed.
What Lumian saw next was a terrifying star cluster composed of erupting suns.
The lifeless planet beneath his feet was violently torn apart into fragments, ceasing to exist.
-x-X-x-
As the planet was torn into fragments in an instant, the three-headed, three-bodied, six- armed Lumian remained completely unaffected.
How could calamity itself ever be harmed by Disaster?
At some unknown point, he had already taken out the Box of the Great Old Ones, encrusted with various gemstones, and directly opened its third layer.
Inside, there was nothing-yet clear and unnerving sounds of chewing and digestion emanated from within.
Almost simultaneously, the right hand of the body housing Aurore and Jenna reached inside, pulling from the void a mass of chaotic liquid that contained all colors and all possibilities.
Then, that hand clenched into a fist, absorbing the liquid into a chaos vortex it created. It annihilated the contents within, incorporating them into Lumian's own consciousness and spirit, specifically into the feminine aspect of the Origins of Disaster, thus balancing the residual corruption that could not be entirely eradicated.
As Lumian performed this action, a massive cross above the protective zones caused an even larger tide of chaos to surge forth, engulfing the zone completely.
The next moment, the terrifying gravitational pull of the immense star cluster and the disintegration of the fragmented planet caused the protective zones and the Chaos Sea that submerged it to tremble violently, as if on the brink of total collapse. The massive cross began to bend noticeably.
Yet, no matter what, the protective zones remained stable-for the time being, at least. Now!
Klein felt the Great Old Dominators rushing to breach the barrier. Seizing the opportunity, he directed the projection of the bluish-black door of light into the protective zones, where it scattered into countless starlit fragments.
The Chaos Sea enveloping the protective zone abruptly contracted, retreating back into the shadowy figure on the cross. All that remained was a patch of deep darkness and a few dangerous artifacts.
The protective zones vanished.
They disappeared entirely.
Lord of Mysteries Klein instantly transferred billions of humans, countless other species, and the scenes from the dream to a target planet at the edge of the universe.
It was like a magician's trick-drape a cloth over the table, then whip it away, and the objects underneath were gone.
-
Within the protective zone, still functioning but with only five minutes left, The Magician Fors, standing in her home in Backlund, suddenly froze for a moment.
She said to Xio, Franca, Anthony, and Ludwig, "There's no need for me to transfer you anymore. We've already reached our destination. Everyone has."
"Uh..." Franca was stunned.
She had thought she would still have one final chance to make a decision.
It wasn't until Madam Magician finished speaking that she, Madam Judgment Xio, Ludwig, and the others realized the environment around them had already changed.
At that moment, The Magician Fors frowned slightly and said, "Enemies are approaching- from space!"
As she spoke, Fors stretched out her right hand. With a burst of dazzling starlight, she conjured a fantastical screen in front of her.
On the screen were shadowy figures traversing different dimensions, as well as faint, unattainably high humanoid shapes, leaping toward the current planet.
Sequence 2 Dimensional Shadow and Sequence 1 Observer of the Painter pathway... and there's more than one of them... Have they discovered Mr. Fool's transfer of the protective zones and seen through the Deceit, locating this planet from a higher dimension and sending their Blessed? While Madam Magician Fors's consciousness resonated, the figures, however, did not directly descend into the current dimension. They stopped instead.
They understood that relying solely on Their angelic powers would not be enough to deal with the numerous and powerful "prey."
They began summoning Visitors, seeking reinforcements.
This was Their habit. They were not mindless creatures driven by instinct to hunt recklessly without considering alliances.
The next second, one grotesque creature after another arrived through Hostels.
Some were women with closed eyes, weaving webs of fate; others wielded illusory, silvery dirks that seemed capable of severing the threads of fate and cutting off branches of the River of Fate.
Some belonged to different species, appearing humanoid or bizarre. All had three heads and six arms, with expressions ranging from malice and rage to sorrowful numbness, compassionate serenity, or blank incompleteness.
Some were radiant beings of starlight with six pairs of wings, while others were colossal transparent dragons, attempting to drive a small asteroid toward the planet at the edge of the universe.
Others were draped in black robes, revealing only writhing snakes or tentacles beneath. Still others had no physical form, existing only as whispers deep within living beings' hearts.
Some wore fresh flower wreaths, appearing beautiful, holding wooden bows and arrows like true deities. Others resembled tree-like sea monsters, covered in slimy blossoms and chaos- slick scales, dotted with brown-green tumors.
There were beings that looked like dark vortices, filled with gleaming white teeth and tendrils of shadow extending outward, crowned with disparate heads. Others were blobs of liquid containing all colors.
Some seemed composed of water-colored time, Their massive forms slowing everything around Them. Others were hunched, ancient to the point of decrepitude, with loose, wrinkled skin blotched with decay. Aside from Their mountainous size, They appeared unremarkable.
Some stood loftily, as if holding up the sky itself to prevent it from collapsing, yet Their abdomens were entirely hollow. Others resembled immense greenish oak trees that seemed to pierce the heavens...
Upon seeing this scene, The Madam Magician Fors's mind was suddenly flooded with information, drawn from Mr. Fool, Ma'am Hermit, The Chariot Lumian the Chariot, and her
own explorations.
Sequence 2 Web Weaver and Sequence 1 Blade of Fate of the Goddess of Fate pathway...
Sequence 2 Sinner and Sequence 1 Angel of Redemption of the Circle of Inevitability pathway...
Sequence 2 Radiant Angel and Sequence 1 Star Dragon of the Tide Scholar pathway...
Sequence 2 Great Old One Attendant and Sequence 1 Voice of the Heart, of the Initiator pathway...
Sequence 2 Cupid and Sequence 1 Leviathan of the Mother Tree of Desire pathway...
Sequence 2 Angel of Devouring and Sequence 1 Chaos Gastric Juices of the Chef pathway...
Sequence 2 Time Giant and Sequence 1 God of Decay of the Monarch of Decay pathway...
Sequence 2 The Supreme or Broken Pillar and Sequence 1 Tree God of the Heretic Spellmaster
pathway...
Madam Magician took a deep breath, turned her head, and smiled at Judgment Xio. "It's not over yet. We still have work to do."
Having spoken, the recently advanced Sequence 1 Key of Stars stepped out of the protective zone and appeared above the habitable planet she had discovered during her previous travels.
She raised her right hand, unveiling a vast and dreamlike starry sky to cover the entire protective zone, sealing it in a defensive barrier.
The coming battle could not be allowed to affect the interior of the protective zone, nor could those evil god Blessed infiltrate it!
No sooner had Fors finished this task than another figure appeared nearby-the Pope of the Church of Evernight, Saint Dabomachie.
Saint Dabomachie, now transformed into a giant dozens of meters tall with elongated limbs, grayish-blue skin, and a single vertical eye on His forehead,
had ascended to Sequence 1 Hand of God in the Warrior pathway. His right hand seemed to be made entirely of glowing orange twilight.
Summoning pure, dense light imbued with orange hues, Saint Dabomachie added another layer of unyielding radiance outside Fors's seal.
Double protection!
As Saint Dabomachie wielded His protective power, yet another figure emerged from the
protective zone.
This was a black-haired, blue-eyed middle-aged man with a stern demeanor, square face, and high nose, cloaked in a dark mantle: William Augustus, the founder of the Loen Kingdom.
William Augustus did not act immediately. He raised His head to observe the tug-of-war between disorder and balance, the evolving order of the battlefield, and the enemy forces' formation, carefully calculating the rules and structures He would impose.
Such decisions could not afford errors. If situations like "Mystery weakens here, while reality grows stronger" were imposed, and the enemy deployed something akin to the ship used in the sea prayer ritual, those very rules might end up limiting their own side's Angels.
The Magician Fors, about to speak to Saint Dabomachie and William Augustus, saw Xio and
Franca appear beside her.
Meeting her gaze, Judgment Xio said calmly, "For me, establishing and maintaining order is fundamentally about protection."
Fors smiled but said nothing. Instead, she turned to Franca.
Franca cleared her throat and replied solemnly, "I'm not the type to hide behind others.
"At a time like this, every bit of strength counts. Every bit of light helps." Given her personality, how could she not have fantasized about being a savior—the kind who signed non-disclosure agreements and remained unsung after the fact? Madam Magician laughed. "Even if you didn't come, I would've summoned you."
Then, through the seal and barriers, she addressed Anthony within the protective zone, "Your
job is to placate and maintain stability."
Anthony hesitated briefly before turning to Ludwig and saying, "I'll handle the Trier area."
Without waiting for a response, he entered the sea of collective subconscious.
His expression was heavy, yet tinged with joy.
How wonderful. This time, I can do something. I can placate. I can stabilize the rear for the Angels.
Back then, it may have been naive and laughable, but I didn't join the army for wealth or status-I did
it to protect my country and its people...
Ludwig neither followed Anthony nor immediately left the protective zone. Instead, he now held a jewelry box encrusted with countless gemstones and a writhing blob of chaotic liquid.
From across half the universe, Lumian had hurled the Box of the Great Old Ones to him. Staring at the two items, Ludwig's expression fluctuated. After a few seconds, he gritted his teeth and swallowed the chaotic liquid.
-x-X-x-
Backlund.
Justice Audrey stood in the sea of collective subconscious, gazing at the drifting light and shadow and listening to the cacophony of voices. It was as if she were standing at a bustling street corner, feeling the highs and lows of life and the vibrant pulse hidden beneath it all.
She turned her head and smiled at the golden retriever, Susie, by her side.
"Your duty is to placate."
As she finished speaking, Audrey's figure vanished from the protective zone and reappeared silently beside The Magician Fors and Judgment Xio.
"But I'm just a dog..." muttered Susie, left behind in the sea of collective subconscious, her voice carrying a resigned sigh.
--
Rorsted Archipelago, Bayam.
The Hanged Man Alger sat at the edge of the square outside the Church of the Sea God, silently watching white doves take flight amidst the comings and goings of people.
Suddenly, he heard the voices of a children's choir singing from inside the church: "Break! Break! Break!"
Alger couldn't help but smile faintly.
A howling gale arose, enveloping and lifting him, carrying him upward into the sky.
--
New City of Silver, within the headquarters cathedral of the Church of The Fool.
The Sun Derrick nodded to the now exceptionally gigantic Waite Chirmont standing beside him.
"The door to the light has appeared," Derrick said.
"This will be a glorious battle," Waite Chirmont with a dark-green sigil tattooed on his bald scalp replied with a grin.
Without further words, Derrick transformed into pure and sacred sunlight, soaring out of the protective zone like a radiant golden sun rising into the sky.
...
Seeing the sun ascend and rise higher into the heavens,
Angel of the Holy Spirit Reinette Tinekerr, who now had a head on her neck, spoke with mild dissatisfaction to Her student, Sharron.
"Those entities are far too hideous.
"Let's curse Them into normalcy."
Temperance Sharron nodded slightly, watching her teacher vanish before her eyes.
She did not follow immediately. Instead, she closed her eyes and silently assessed her own state.
She remembered a teaching her mentor had once imparted to her: "Temperance is not about perpetual suppression; it is about rationally understanding oneself and preparing for an explosive moment when it truly matters."
Now, the time had come!
...
Berserk Sea, aboard the deck of the Future.
Ma'am Hermit Cattleya looked at her first mate, Frank Lee; second mate, Heath Doyle; navigator, Ottolov; and boatswain, Nina. A sudden wave of sentimentality rose in her heart. When she had left the Dawn, her only thought was to grow stronger, build her own fleet, and prove herself to the Queen, regaining her recognition. Later, she began to think about leading her crew and fleet to better futures.
But now, her task was to protect this world-to face and fight against the impending apocalyptic disaster.
"Perhaps this is the fate of a Sage..."
With that thought, The Hermit Cattleya dissolved into a torrent of complex, illusory information, rushing out of the protective zone.
Then, she noticed two similar streams of data surging from Trier.
A sense of peace and quiet joy settled within her heart.
...
Backlund, in his own home.
The Moon Emlyn sat quietly in a chair, staring at a room full of dolls.
He had already learned that the Sequence 1 Beauty Goddess Beyonder characteristic left behind by the Ancestor had not been transferred to the current planet.
This was an unavoidable choice.
The other Great Old Dominators were undoubtedly vying fiercely for the sefirot and the Uniquenesses now, leaving Them too preoccupied to deal with Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics to the point of personally descending. Once the divine war concluded, if Mr. Fool and other great existences emerged victorious, the Sequence 1 Archangels or corresponding Sealed Artifacts that were transferred would naturally remain safe. If the outcome was the opposite, pre-prepared measures could be employed-cutting losses by ejecting those Beyonder characteristics, avoiding another targeted assault by the Great Old Dominators.
But there was a specific issue- the Mother Goddess of Depravity was not entangled in the chaotic war. She was distancing Herself from the area to acquire new life. If the Beauty Goddess Beyonder characteristic had been transferred with the protective zone, She might very well take the time to come here. In that case, all resistance would be rendered meaningless unless Mr. Fool abandoned the original battlefield.
As his thoughts churned, The Moon Emlyn stood abruptly, black, membranous bat wings unfurling from his back.
The wings flapped as Emlyn ascended into the air, looking down at the ordinary, oblivious Sanguine without godhood below, who had yet to realize the environment had changed.
He circled overhead before heading beyond the protective zone, his vast bat wings seeming to blot out the sky.
Below, several crimson moonbeams emerged from coffins and graves, following The Moon Emlyn.
...
Loen Kingdom, Awwa County, Tingen City.
The Star Leonard stared blankly at the sky, feeling that events were deviating from his
expectations.
He quickly reined in his thoughts and addressed the assembled members of the Blackthorn
Security Company.
"Vacation starts now. Everyone, go home."
"But Deacon, aren't we supposed to deal with possible infiltrations by the Blessed of the evil gods?" asked the team members, clad in red gloves or black trench coats, their faces filled
with confusion.
The Star Leonard reiterated firmly, "Go home immediately.
"This is your mission; this is what you must do."
The Nighthawks exchanged puzzled looks but ultimately obeyed the command. After all, the protective zone was not the real world. Perhaps returning home carried a unique symbolic significance or psychological effect.
As his team departed, Leonard gazed skyward once more.
With his Concealment authority, he could sense one Angel after another gathering there.
Leonard exhaled slowly and closed his eyes, memories of past scenes flashing in his mind-
scenes of Megose's visit to the Blackthorn Security Company.
His figure quickly faded and was transferred outside the protective zone.
"Captain, you see this? We are protecting this world.
"This time, I am not alone. Every Angel is fighting alongside me..."
...
The Star Leonard's figure materialized outside the seals and barriers of the Door pathway, where he saw the old man, Pallez, separate from him and coalesce into a figure nearby.
He also spotted the ascetic-looking Madam Arianna and the youthful-featured yet prematurely gray-haired Antigonus, along with other familiar Angels.
Then, the voice of Red Angel Medici echoed in his ears. "Everyone, I want you to join my
legion."
To become part of the Red of War Legion, combining the powers of all Angels into one unified force rather than fighting individually? The Star Leonard understood Medici's intention.
He did not refuse and nodded in agreement.
Franca also heard Medici's words but did not immediately respond.
It wasn't resistance but rather a thought that occurred to her. Judging by the changes in the Box of the Great Old Ones, Lumian should already be the Origins of
Disaster, Calamity of Destruction, with Jenna and Aurore revived.
That means they are great existences now, existences tied to war.
And I am a member of their team, an ally of the essence of war!
I wonder how extensive the effective range of a legion is for a great existence... Symbolically, it should span the entire universe. But in terms of tangible abilities, it's likely limited...
If I'm still within range, couldn't I share Lumian and their rank and power, becoming a smaller-scale Origins of Disaster, Calamity of Destruction to wreak havoc on this battlefield?
With this thought, Franca sought to "borrow power" on the spot. Unfortunately, she failed.
Is the range not extensive enough, or has some Great Old Dominator used Their symbolism to disrupt Lumian and the team's abilities? Franca muttered under her breath and reluctantly chose to temporarily join Medici's legion.
At the same time, she saw the War Angel, with fiery hair like a burning blaze and clad in blood-stained black armor.
In between Medici's brows, a crimson, dripping banner emblem had already manifested. He had long completed the sacrifice to the essence of war and undoubtedly received its feedback and aid. Otherwise, even with two sets of Weather Warlock Beyonder characteristics, the range of the legion's influence would not have sufficed to connect all the Angels-there were simply too many gathered in such a constrained space spanning about twenty
kilometers.
Now, with the backing of the essence of war, He was far better equipped to handle the
situation.
Feeling the agreement and participation of one Angel after another, Red Angel Medici looked
at the Outer Deity Angels assembling in another dimension and laughed coldly.
His expression was both disdainful and solemn.
Violet flames ignited in His hands.
Once, I followed the Lord, saving humanity and ushering in glory.
Now, I still remain. I will continue to protect it all.
-x-X-x-