An indeterminate number of magic women, varying in size, brought about a collapse of everything, causing the main peak of the Hornachis Mountains to gradually shift toward a massive stone sphere. As a result, the ancient palace's crumbling outer walls rapidly collapsed, exposing Clarens, along with his duplicate and his companion, directly into the Star Realm. With black tendrils resembling serpents swiftly advancing toward the palace, a crimson moon rose above the apocalyptic scene. Bathed in moonlight, the outer hall instantly sprouted rows of wheat, clusters of fresh flowers, mushrooms, and trees, intertwining and layering upon one another, sealing the palace of Antigonus within. At that moment, the hall where Clarens stood appeared as a historical relic buried deep within the forest for thousands of years, completely absorbed by nature. The black tendrils, each ending in a glowing eye and resembling serpents, were now blocked outside by the rapidly flourishing vegetation.
They rose up, continuously striking and battering this natural "barrier," layer upon layer turning it into stone, cracking, or collapsing outright. Yet, regardless of whether it was wheat, fresh produce, mushrooms, or trees, their renewal came swiftly—just as they returned to the embrace of the Earth Mother, they sprouted anew. Thus, these natural barriers rose and renewed, then fell and were destroyed, again and again, entering a state of steady equilibrium. The Earth Mother, who held the singular authority of the "Moon Path," blocked the primordial sorceress, Chik. At that moment, a "light" invisible to most extraordinary beings descended straight from above, striking the natural barrier rooted in plants. This light had no physical form, seeming instead composed of cascading streams of complex information, flowing in a vast, ethereal surge through the gaps between plants, directly reaching toward the transparent mask that Klein was about to grasp.
"The Hidden Sage!"
At that very moment, a gentle glow surged from the void, unfolding a series of projected scrolls around Caine. Some depicted the helplessness and suffering of humanity when facing extraordinary beings; others rendered in epic grandeur the scenes of humans using themselves as experimental subjects, striving to blend extraordinary materials to gain strength and save their peoples; some illustrated the diverse folk customs brought by the "Black Emperor"; others carried the weight of inventions, books, and diverse viewpoints; and still others mirrored the present world—composed of massive steam-powered machinery, increasingly towering buildings, and more practical clothing. These scrolls, though seemingly thin, conveyed an immense sense of depth and weight, for they embodied civilization—the stages of enlightenment and development of human society.
Initially, the "God of Craftsmen" had not fully absorbed the elixir of Sequence 1, "The Enlightener of Civilization," and had instead ascended to Sequence 0 due to various circumstances, maintaining his sanity and clarity of mind. Yet this required him to devote significantly more mental energy to counteract the tendencies toward chaos and madness, making him notably weaker among the seven principal deities. The Steam Church, the weakest of the divine organizations, is not only due to its relatively short history and limited accumulated strength, but also because its corresponding True God state is not particularly strong. Only when Roscel, as both "Son of Steam" and a member of the Church, initiated the Industrial Revolution and introduced a variety of intellectual currents did the "God of Craftsmen" seize the opportunity to rebrand himself as the "God of Steam and Machinery," fully integrating the progress of civil enlightenment and finally absorbing the corresponding elixir. Among the True Gods following a similar path, after the "Hidden Sage" chose to oppose Caine, the deity ultimately aligned himself with the other principal gods.
A terrifying deluge of information surged into the ethereal scrolls, rapidly expanding and striving to rupture the "prison." Yet, the civilization spanning several thousand to tens of thousands of years was so profound and expansive, and the historical legacy of generations of humans—measured in billions—so vast and magnificent—that it fully sufficed to bear the information stream of the "Hidden Sage." As the "Hidden Sage" labored to break free from the constraints of the "God of Steam and Machinery," within the Antigonus Hall sealed by layers of vegetation, Klein extended his slender, peculiar tendrils and grasped the semi-transparent mask symbolizing the singular identity of the "Fool," bringing it close to his face. The moment the mask settled upon Klein's face, figures began to emerge all around him—some dressed as postal clerks, others as ordinary birds, and still others as tiny organisms barely visible to the naked eye—numbering hundreds or even thousands.
The hall, originally filled only with bodies suspended in midair, suddenly became crowded. These figures shared a common trait: either they wore single-lens spectacles made of crystal over their right eyes, or there was a ring of differently colored insignia in the same position. Amon! The duplicates of Mr. Amon, the "Error"! They had either exploited the incursions of the "Primordial Witch" or the "Hidden Sage," finding back entrances and slipping through unnoticed, quietly reaching their destination. Glancing at the one now donning a semi-transparent mask, beginning to embody the singular essence of the "Fool," these Amons simultaneously broke into smiles, opened their mouths, and emitted words incomprehensible to ordinary listeners.
These words weave together into a terrifying, mad babble:
"You've overlooked the 'Primordial Witch'...
"To Him, merely restoring the Medici to Sequence 1 poses no real threat...
"Right now, He most desires the immediate emergence of a 'Mysterious Sovereign,' to break the seal of the West Continent, enabling Him to locate the 'City of Calamity'...
"Clearly, I am a far better choice than you—after all, you are too weak...
'Hmm, are you still waiting for assistance from the 'Tree of Desire' or the 'Fallen Mother Goddess'? Useless. I've already placed the first 'Board of Desecration' in the Mist Sea, at the entrance of the 'Deepness,' near the original island."
"With the enhanced sealing effects brought by the powers related to 'the Gate,' and with half of the 'Lord of the Stellar Realm' maintaining control over the world's protective barriers, no Outer God can penetrate into the real world within a short timeframe. Without the influence of Outer Gods, the 'Cosmic Shadow' and the 'Bound Gods' currently have no intention of intervening in the divine conflict. Instead, they prefer to seize this opportunity to break free from their constraints. They also hope to see the emergence of a true 'Mysterious Lord' who can assist them in overcoming their predicament. If the very act of invoking them didn't simultaneously trigger contamination from the Outer Gods within their own bodies, I could now confidently make a commitment—to align with them and jointly confront you."
Amon is deliberately filling his ramblings with authentic information, thereby subjecting Caine to dual influences: one, the mental pollution caused by the ramblings themselves, and two, the cognitive distraction from the substance of the information being conveyed.
After all, for Him, it wouldn't waste any time. On one hand, He had enough bodies to distribute himself across, so that each "time-creature" uttering a single word could form numerous sentences. On the other hand, He forcibly wove the information together, such that a single word could represent many.
At this very instant, the murmurs of the Amons surged wildly within Caine's mind, like sharp blades piercing his spirit and tearing at his psyche.
Under normal circumstances, Caine could easily suppress the murmurs of even the highest sequence 1 level through his own personhood, remaining unaffected. But at this moment, he was hosting the unique essence of "The Fool," and his mental equilibrium was delicate and fragile.
In such a state, even a single straw might collapse the entire house—let alone the numerous bodies of the Amons.
Moreover, while Klein's spirit was pierced by pain and his self-perception was in turmoil, the dormant spiritual imprints of Antigonus and the will of the "Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianzun" within him both showed signs of awakening. —— In a sense, dormancy itself is an ultimate form of sealing; undoubtedly, the Amun, who embody the singularity of the "Gate," can weaken, and even render ineffective, such a seal! Furthermore, the semi-transparent mask that Klein had just placed over his face—the singular essence of "The Fool"—carried a particularly strong presence of the "Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianzun" will, which was gradually breaking free from the effects of dormancy and resonating with the like essence within Klein's body. With scarcely any extraordinary abilities employed, merely generating some fragmented utterances, the Amun caused Klein to lose his balance and brought him to the brink of chaos.
Moreover, it seems irreversible unless there remains the river of eternal darkness, allowing the spiritual imprint of Antigonus and the even stronger will of the "Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianzun" to continue slumbering. Yet at this moment, even if the river of eternal darkness still flows, the Night Goddess cannot divert her attention, as she is fully engaged in suppressing the true deities of the Dual Path, Amun. From this perspective, the Amuns are deliberately sacrificing their true forms, thereby holding the Night Goddess in place and creating an opportunity for their manifestations to disrupt Caine's ritual. This is a little risky, but the outcome appears promising. At this very moment, a glimmer of light emerges within Caine's coat pocket. The light is a pale gold, like thick, viscous pulp, instantly enveloping the surrounding area. Along with Caine, the light also illuminates his manifestations and the thin yellow copper book suddenly thrown toward him from afar. "0–02," "The Terenzost Yellow Copper Book!"
The sealing object unfolded its "form" in midair, bathing itself in a soft golden light, and at the same time, a new rule suddenly appeared on the blank pages—distinct from the previously repeated ones:
"Silence is mandated here!"
Amun's manifestations kept their mouths open and closed, yet could no longer utter a sound.
Instantly, beneath that rule, a fresh clause emerged:
"Mutual attacks are forbidden here!"
Clang—the "Trenzost Yellow Book" fell to the ground, spreading out at the edge of Caine's feet.
Under the glow of the "Wishing Lamp," it had begun to break free from its prior cycle, establishing rules favorable to Caine.
Amun's representatives merely glanced at it and each responded differently.
Some adjusted their single-frame spectacles, aligned themselves, then raised their right hands, gently clasped them, and used the corresponding authority to reinforce the seal.
On the "Trenzostar Bronze Scroll," before the new provisions took shape, a phrase gradually emerged: "The following rules are invalid..." Meanwhile, the other Amons locked onto Kline, teetering on the brink of collapse. Not being able to attack does not mean one cannot steal or offer gifts!