Klein spun around, gazing at the figure—familiar yet foreign. He had anticipated countless scenarios for Utopia's assault, but had never imagined something so unexpected. If Amun had "infected" Germain Spalro through the secret doppelgänger, given Klein's current status and the constant surveillance of the "spirit insects" above the Source Citadel, the anomaly would have been detected immediately. Should Charathus have transferred the "spirit thread," he could only have concealed it temporarily—requiring the aid of either the "Emperor of Knowledge" or the "Secret Servant," an angelic presence—to achieve such a sudden and unannounced attack. Only the subtle, evolving humanity infused by the "audience" could remain undetected, with no outward signs of disturbance. To guard against such an occurrence, the "spirit thread" would need to be periodically severed, placing the doppelgänger into a state of death—thus, regardless of whether they originally possessed humanity, they would ultimately vanish entirely. Alas, Kline had never heard of this technique before; he had merely been prepared to defend against the intrusion of the "virtual personas" into the minor figures. This might well be the power of the "Idealist"—to bestow a unique humanity upon every fictional life that lacks full authenticity. When the rigid, stern face appeared before Kline's eyes, he felt a force pushing him back. He instantly collapsed, falling backward through the layers of ancient urban ruins, down into the realm beyond history. As he fell, he tried to control himself, yet he was powerless, for the crosswood stake driven through his heart sealed off all his extraordinary abilities. Kline thought quickly, turned to Germán Sparrow, and raised his finger. Tap! The "spirit insects" within the "Source Keep" received his will, severed their connection to the secret figure's "spirit thread," and took up the "Star Staff," preparing to strike Kline down—thus, to kill themselves. When the essence itself perishes, Kline will rise again upon the gray mist, free from his predicament. Having learned that Adam is the mastermind, he no longer holds out any hope. At this very moment, a stone plaza floats into being above the ground, suspended in the void. Black stone columns rise up, supporting a magnificent and sacred church that encompasses Kline within. The Church of the Remains, Adam's Church of the Remains—the divine realm of the "Idealist"! Thunderclap! Countless streaks of silver lightning descend from the "Source Citadel," piercing through the veil of history and striking the church, yet they cannot move it an inch. Meanwhile, within the ancient palace, the figure seated in the "Fool's" chair suddenly collapses to one side, dissolving into a vortex composed of transparent, writhing worms. This vortex extends slender, slippery tendrils that wildly lash out, overturning piles of debris and shattering the weathered tables around. Klein's duplicates severed their connection with the original, while the original itself had not truly perished—thus, they became uncontrolled, frantic, much like Chalatu at first. In the ancient cities before the First Age, Germano Sparo, wearing a half-high silk hat and a black coat, looked up toward "The Source Keep," his expression growing increasingly complex. His essence was that of a corpse; once the "Line of the Spirit" was abandoned, he could no longer sustain his own existence. Adam had granted only humanity, not an invented life, because the latter would be discovered. Germano Sparo slowly sank downward, his gaze drifting toward one room after another within the ruins. He died within this landscape of decay. ……… Cain stepped firmly to the ground, standing at the center of the church. Everywhere—each column, every arch, every dome—different racial skulls were embedded, most of them pale and densely clustered, their hollow eyes fixed upon the strangers. Transparent, distorted, and expression-filled faces emerged from the walls, windows, and doors, completely separating the interior from the outside world. At the very fore of the church rose a cross towering over a hundred meters high. In front of the cross, rows of black, back-supported chairs were arranged. Adam stood beneath the cross, dressed in a simple white robe, with a light golden beard and a silver cross pendant at his neck, facing the rows of chairs as if preparing to deliver a sermon to his congregation. His expression was warm, his eyes clear, as though merely inviting Cain to listen to the scripture. Klein looked down at the crosswood stake driven into his chest, then slowly walked toward the first row of seats, sitting squarely in the middle seat with composure. For a true mythic being composed of numerous "spirit insects," an injury to the chest was far from life-threatening—the ancient, blood-stained crosswood primarily served to seal extraordinary abilities. Were it not for a true god standing before him, Klein could have easily used his physical strength to pull the stake out and lift the seal himself. Yet, he had not attempted it, fearing that hesitation might evolve into reluctance. "I didn't expect you to get involved directly in this matter. You could have targeted me long before today," Klein said, gazing at the shirt now stained red with blood from his chest, expressing his genuine curiosity. He showed no signs of fear, as if firmly convinced that Adam would not kill him. Adam held the silver cross pendant in one hand, his voice calm as he said: "Before this, you could have made a significant impact in many places." He took two steps forward, his gaze clear and continued: "When Amun came to steal the bones of the church, I made a pact with Him—He helped me secure the first 'Board of Desecration,' and in return, I helped Him capture you." Ah, now it all makes sense, thought Caine. Adam wished not to be obstructed by the 'True Maker' entities during his ascension to divinity, yet he also desired the first 'Board of Desecration.' Thus, he used offerings such as the 'Cross of No Dark' to encourage Caine's journey to the Giants' Court, opening the door to Sasiriel's slumber and drawing the attention of the 'True Maker' entities. At the same time, through His brother Amun, he orchestrated a timely theft of the first 'Board of Desecration.' To secure Caine, who was on the verge of beginning to master the 'Sanctum,' the arrangement made by the 'Idealists' was undoubtedly the most fitting. Though Amun and Adam often seem distant, even close brothers are easier to work with than strangers. "I too didn't expect Zarathustra to collaborate with you," Klein said, glancing at the stained-glass path that now revealed a distorted face. "Doesn't He fear becoming Amun's food?" When Klein founded Utopia, he had anticipated an attack from Amun and destruction from Zarathustra—but hadn't expected them to cooperate in any meaningful way. In his view, Zarathustra's likelihood of fully aligning with the "Tree of Desire" was far greater than this collaboration, unless Adam had unconsciously arranged for it as well. Adam's clear gaze now carried a touch of compassion. "For Zarathustra, your becoming the Old Days means His own inevitable fall. But if Amun becomes the Old Days, He only needs to demonstrate loyalty and can retain His current status and level. The Master of Mystery always requires the Servant of Mystery." "So He has chosen to work with me. If, during this process, He can seize the opportunity—before I do—transform you into a secret figure, use you to enter the 'Source Citadel' and claim ownership of that primordial essence, then He will be entitled to approach the Night and demand a direct confrontation with Antigonus, making a final bid against Amun. Otherwise, He will be fully defeated and must pledge allegiance to Amun. 'On this point, He is resolute.' 'Explaining so much isn't your usual style,' Kline remarked casually before frowning and asking, 'Does becoming an Ancient require all the Sequence-1 extraordinary traits associated with the path?' He had inferred this from the relationship between the ancient solar deity and the Eight Archangels, though he had assumed that one must first become an Ancient or near-Ancient before undergoing the division of traits." Adam replied gently: "For the adjacent paths, all that is needed is 'uniqueness' and the exceptional nature of Sequence 1. Forcing oneself to occupy more often leads to instability. Thus, after Characturus pledged loyalty to Amun, he had a genuine chance to become King of the Angels—yet he could not pledge loyalty to you, because he lacks the ability to split off a Sequence 2 duplicate as the 'Thief' path does, where he can fully extract the spirit, consciousness, and psyche of his own essence and transfer them, thereby transforming his auxiliary form into a primary one." The 'Oracle's' duplicate and the 'Thief's' 'Time-Beetle' duplicate differ fundamentally in this regard—the former involves the 'spirit line,' while the latter relies solely on its own strength. Moreover, the Angels of the 'Thief' path can achieve this because their Sequence 2 is the 'Fated Steed.' Klein nodded slightly, when suddenly Adam turned slightly to the side, revealing an object beneath the cross. It was a dull, gray stone slab, its surface marked with patches of wear and tear, giving it a notably weathered appearance. Similar to the first "Desecrated Stone," yet lacking that extraordinary sense of ancient age. On its surface, the same kind of text—reminiscent of the origins of all languages—was inscribed, detailing a sequence of names and a series of potion recipes. "Is this the second 'Desecrated Stone'?" asked Caine, slightly astonished. He quickly scanned the slab, skipping over the earlier inscriptions and focusing directly on the final few lines. His intuition told him that crucial information lay there. "Take your time," Adam said, speaking as if comforting a repentant believer. "Amun will only come to claim your fate once the ritual is complete and He ascends to Sequence 0. Until then, He cannot bear the weight of being the Sovereign of the Source Citadel. In the meantime, it is best that you remain here in my divine realm." Kill me... thought Caine, murmuring it to himself. At this point, he had deciphered part of the final lines: God, Creator, Maker, All-Knowing and All-Powerful, Sovereign of the Stellar Realm: "Chaos Sea" uniqueness + "Dreamer" uniqueness + "Sun" uniqueness + "Tyrant" uniqueness + "White Tower" uniqueness + "Hanged Man" uniqueness + 1 instance of the "Writer" exceptional trait + 1 instance of the "Pure White Angel" exceptional trait + 1 instance of the "Thunder God" exceptional trait + 1 instance of the "All-Seeing Eye" exceptional trait + 1 instance of the "Dark Angel" exceptional trait. Mysterious Sovereign, King of Time and Space, Keeper of Fate, Embodiment of the Source Citadel, Ruler of the Spirit Realm: "Source Citadel" uniqueness + "The Fool" uniqueness + "Mistake" uniqueness + "Gate" uniqueness + 1 instance of the "Mysterious Servant" exceptional trait + 1 instance of the "Time Worm" exceptional trait + 1 instance of the "Star Key" exceptional trait. "Why not simply hypnotize me and let me sleep until Amun becomes divine? Adam spoke with clear eyes and a gentle expression. "To be honest, if it weren't for Amun on the other side, I'd rather help you become the 'Lord of the Spirit Realm.' We share so many similarities—indeed, we've already met before, like old friends." At this, He offered a subtle smile. "We've met again, quite mysterious." ps1: First update, then revise. By the way, I have a commitment tomorrow morning, so the second update will still be at 7 PM. ps2: Happy birthday to all the curly-haired baboons! ps3: A guaranteed monthly pass for the first day of April, please!