The projection of the Goddess of Night spoke in a calm tone: "For Him or for Them, we cannot defeat or stop—only oppose and suppress." Perhaps at times, a mere oversight or slight lapse in vigilance, and we shall become Him... On the extraordinary path, danger is ever-present, and at any moment we may slip into the abyss. Klein silently added two more sentences for the Goddess of Night. After a moment's thought, he asked: "Did you intervene at the time of my birth?" The projection, which seemed almost to blend into the surrounding environment, gave a slight nod. "I leveraged the uniqueness of Antigonus to indirectly influence the 'Source Citadel,' altering the corresponding location of your birth's extraordinary trait to a place abandoned by the gods." Indeed, Klein murmured under his breath, furrowing his brows. "Could the uniqueness of Antigonus indirectly affect the 'Source Citadel'?" The projected voice of the "Goddess of Night," soft as a nocturne, replied: "He has already lost control, spiraling into madness. This means his self-awareness can no longer suppress the will of the 'Master of Mysteries' within him; the two spirits have fused, revealing the most primal, instinctual, and bloodthirsty, frenzied aspect of his nature. The 'Master of Mysteries' was the former owner of the 'Source Citadel,' and thus, Antigonus, in his current capacity, can now indirectly influence the Citadel through this very identity." It was no wonder, then, that the "Goddess of Night" knew more about the Citadel and that peculiar gate than Emperor Roscel. She herself had emerged from the Citadel, and she had imprisoned the now-mad Antigonus. Klein found this explanation gradually clear, and asked further: "Why, when you and Roscel were born, did you not possess any extraordinary traits?" "Then, whether it be the 'Goddess of Night' or Emperor Roscel, they will undoubtedly prioritize the 'Seer,' 'Apprentice,' or 'Thief' path," the projection of the 'Goddess of Night' remarked calmly. "That is precisely why I said the 'Master of Mysteries' has encountered some unforeseen mishap and has lost control over many of his arrangements. Only after two consecutive failures did 'The Source Citadel' begin to show signs of change. This is good news for you. As the end approaches, the Master's residual will is gradually dissipating, leaving only a lingering spirit attempting to awaken. If you were born in the Fourth Age, at the very moment you became a 'Servant of Mysteries,' you have already become Him." This is because at that time, Caine had simply ascended using the 'curtain' left behind by the 'Heavenly Sovereign,' while the exceptional qualities inherent in figures such as Antigonus and Charathus had already been worn down and blended over generations of exceptional beings and transcendent creatures. Klein always felt there was some underlying speculation about an unexpected development between the "Goddess of Night" and the "Master of the Primordial Unity," yet since the latter had deliberately omitted any mention of it, he found himself unable to press further. Instead, he said: "How exactly did Antigonus accommodate the uniqueness of 'The Fool'?" The dream projection of the "Goddess of Night" responded gently, without concealment: "He invited Adam and Amun to assist. At that time, both of them had supported Alistair Tord." "By leveraging the power of the 'Fate Steed'?" Klein, drawing from Wil. Onsight's account and his own reflections, swiftly pinpointed the essence of the matter. The projection of the "Goddess of Night" seemed like a tranquil night sky, calmly soothing the surroundings: "He captured a half-god from the Kingdom of Solomon, then deeply hypnotized him and transferred relevant memories so that the man would believe he himself was Antigonus." Then, under Antigonus's cooperation, Amen stole His identity and destiny. Antigonus, in turn, exercised the power of revision to weave together Amen's identity, destiny, and the experimental subject. The semi-divine ruler of the Solomon Empire began to live in Antigonus's state and, after some time, actively sought to embrace the uniqueness of 'The Fool'. Amen was undoubtedly out of control at this point. At that moment, the true Antigonus revoked the revision, restoring his own identity and destiny back to Amen. Amen then concluded his theft and returned them to their original owners. Klein listened intently and added thoughtfully, "Thus, two entirely different fates—'Antigonus's failure to embrace uniqueness, transforming him into a monster,' and 'Antigonus living well without any issues'—coexist simultaneously in the real world. In this way, fate itself is, to some extent, deceived..." As he finished speaking, Klein sensed potential vulnerabilities and quickly asked, "Will there be any problems with this?" The dream projection of "The Night Goddess" responded calmly, "There is significant risk. Fate is not easily borne. If fate cannot be retrieved within that extremely brief window before Antigonus begins to lose control, the outcome will surely fail: if retrieved even a single second earlier, the ritual will have no effect at all; if delayed even a single second, Antigonus will inevitably bear the fate of losing control and spiraling toward the same end." "Indeed, once you've accepted your fate, you naturally have to bear the troubles that come with it... If that weren't the case, Amen would have already snatched my fate and entered the 'Source Citadel' with full confidence. In his mind, Kline muttered a few thoughts and began to think about how he could replicate the ritual established by the ancestors of the Antigonus family. — Under normal circumstances, this ritual would be difficult to complete, and given the urgency of the situation, adopting a simplified version that accommodates the unique essence of 'The Fool' seems to be the most practical choice at the moment. Once I become half 'The Fool' and gain further control over the 'Source Citadel,' my level and strength will at least reach the rank of True God. Even if I don't have a decisive advantage against Amen, a True God of the Dual Path, I will be able to secure my position and await reinforcements. While contemplating the comparison of strength and the potential for growth, Kline began to form an initial plan for the ritual. He intended to enlist the aid of the "Goddess of Night" to suppress the ancestral lineage of the Antigonid family, then leverage the "Source Citadel" to steal their identity, destiny, and self-perception. As a result, his consciousness would simultaneously harbor his own awareness, the will of the "Divine Sovereign," the self-perception of the Antigonid ancestors, and the anchors drawn from the New Silver City, the New Crescent City, and the Rosedale Islands. In this way, he would, to some extent, become an Antigonid, inheriting the unruly, frenzied fate of the ancestors. The Antigonid himself grows mad because his self-perception can no longer contain the rising will of the "Divine Sovereign"—the two spiritual entities merge inseparably. Once the Antigonid's self-perception takes root within Kline's body, it will inevitably undergo the same process, as the will of the "Divine Sovereign" within Kline will not be significantly diminished. In other words, the inevitable, uncontrollable, and frenzied fate itself will not impose any additional burden upon Caine. His own consciousness, coupled with more anchors than the current Antigonus possesses, will serve as a stabilizing center, preserving a baseline of rationality. In this state, he will embody the unique essence of the Antigonus family ancestors, accommodating the "Fool" as an inherent, already-established quality—something that has always been part of him and will no longer exert further disruption. Thus, fate itself is deceived. When the ritual concludes, and Caine restores his stolen identity, reclaims his original self and fate, he will no longer be affected by the madness and will emerge as a half-"Fool." The main vulnerabilities of this plan lie in two areas: first, the maintenance of its own stable state—any minor disruption could easily drive Caine completely mad, rendering him unable to recover on his own; second, the "Divine Will" of the ancestors of the Antigonid family, unimpeded and undiminished, would awaken and evolve in ways that no one can predict, potentially bringing about significant transformations, and thus relying entirely on the "Goddess of Night" to achieve balance. Indeed… to Cline, this answer came as no surprise, even falling naturally within his own expectations, giving him the sense that the second boot had finally settled. After a moment's pause, he said, "Just the river water?" The projection of the "Night Goddess's" dream gently nodded. "Right now, you can't even take the entire 'River of Eternal Darkness'—you'll understand this once you reach the heart of Caldrun. 'Some things,' I'll leave for you to ask about when you return." Before Cline could respond, she added, "For you, there are unusual dangers there—best to wait until your mental state stabilizes before making the journey." "Understood," Cline replied. Though he wasn't certain what awaited him deep within the city of Caldrun, he knew his current condition wasn't suited for adventure, especially one involving the primordial substance. The projection of the "Night Goddess's" dream continued, "When you awaken, perform a ritual of petition, and I shall bestow upon you an item to draw water from the 'River of Eternal Darkness.'" Klein nodded briefly, without further elaboration, and said: "Adam is a part of the ancient Sun God, one of His incarnations." The projection of the "Goddess of Night" spoke softly and calmly, with no evident emotional shift: "He has already reached the abandoned divine realm and has met the 'True Creator.'" So quickly... Klein was momentarily surprised, yet found it entirely reasonable. Adam had revealed his secret because it no longer held value. The projection of the "Goddess of Night" continued: "Regardless of what happens next, it will take a considerable amount of time—right now, you need not pay close attention." After Klein nodded, the figure in front of him quickly blurred, and the night-scented herbs and the deep-sleeping plants rose up, scattering across the darkness. He then opened his eyes and saw the dim, shadowed hall, illuminated by pure light streaming through the wall openings—light that seemed like stars embedded in a velvet night sky.