Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

Christo smiled.

"An eye for an eye."

Chapter 796 Another Me

The starry sky twinkled with luminous eyes, and the aurora borealis formed a labyrinth in mid-air, separating the dark night from the deep mire. All the light, like conduits, gathered black particles onto the giant's body leaning against the mountain ridge. The pitch-black body radiated a wondrous aura, its tentacles gently stirring the leaking black mud, then raising their tips like a raised snake gazing into the distance.

The dense fog eroded most of the light screen, the sound of the ocean tide drowning out the bubbling of the swamp, until the fog was peeled away like petals, and the Deep Sea Omen stood beside the fallen Omen. The shattered shell of the Deep Sea Omen began to fall off, and black mud flowed upstream along the giant's body, enveloping and cleansing it. A crescent-shaped horned mask appeared on the Deep Sea Omen's face. Sitting on a small hill of limestone, the Omen completed the unification of its authority.

[What about people? 】

"I ate the body, but the soul has run away. Now it should be eaten by the Sleeper." Deep Sea Omen raised its hand and twisted off the "eye" in the night, examining the Five Locks' abilities. It extracted malicious interfaces from the outside world, which materialized into a sky full of starry eyes.

[That other me is really...weak.] Omen was somewhat dissatisfied with the thief's fate.

"Neither the [Foundation] nor the [Power] are by my side. What can you expect me, a stolen item outside the command tower, to do?" Deep Sea Omen began to complain to itself. As the abandoned part, it had ample reason to grumble to itself.

A brief silence ensued.

"Why did you begin collecting the malice of living beings?"

[To allow humanity to shine like stars in celebration of life, I "voluntarily" became the night.]

The deep voice seemed to come from a secluded valley. He spoke in Lyle's tone, "Every desire will be magnified infinitely under our power. The balance between good and evil will be broken, and all that will be left are idiots who laugh foolishly in the dark. You should be able to foresee the twisted vision that awaits you after you ascend to the status of an evil god."

That's the future, this is the present. I'm not worried about things that haven't happened yet, especially what will happen after the end of the divine war, which you so casually mentioned.

An ominous sign swept across the thick fog surrounding the deep sea. He raised his hand, and the fog, like a flock of sheep being driven, condensed into a handful of fine sand.

I was wondering why the [malice] I collected was being consumed; turns out it went to you.

"Thank you for your support. My unusual behavior was immediately noticed by Sheriu and Arnoin."

They are pawns driven by fate; even without my influence, the outcome would be difficult to change. The change of gods is destined to involve a war, and the ownership of the planet will be decided under the watchful eyes of everyone.

Silence, the most familiar and tacit silence between each other.

Having made the decision, the Deep Sea Omen, which had been silent for so long, spoke again.

"I'm ready."

The ominous sign understood His meaning, but raised its hand to stop the deep sea from entering.

[During your absence, Lyle did some unexpected things, including implementing democracy here. We [parts] no longer need to be united as a single entity. You are free, my other self.]

Having prepared for the erasure of his personality, the autonomous personality of Deep Sea Omen, which had been operating for less than a week, felt confused and questioning.

"If we don't merge, how can we, as fragments, defeat the Sleeper? We should merge and defeat Him with a higher level of life form and power."

The ominous sign stretched out its withered, twig-like fingers and tapped its mask; the ominous sign of the deep sea had long been prepared for this thought process.

If you were the ultimate "oracle," what would you do?

"Unify into a supreme entity, and command all power to devour the slumbering."

What about the others—liches, spellcasters, dragons, and other life forms? Should they fight under your command, or...?

"Assimilate everyone and make them a whole. The power of tiny life is weak. The most effective way to use them is to accept my command and become a part of [Lyle].

I knew this would happen. But you should understand that their reason for fighting the Sleepers is for the freedom of the mind. Your thinking can turn our allies into enemies.

"After their thinking is integrated, they will understand the biases brought about by life forms."

The ominous sign laughed, and under the indifferent gaze of the ominous sign in the deep sea, His laughter became even more flamboyant.

[Do you know that your excited, eloquent discourse right now is proof of your enjoyment of intellectual freedom? It is precisely because Lyle permitted our freedom that you are able to express your opinions based on the assumptions of the ultimate individual. Otherwise, as a fragment, you wouldn't need to think. Isn't that a fascinating paradox?]

The ominous creature in the deep sea hunched over amidst laughter, transforming into a soft-bodied life form with its spine removed, and sighed.

"I accept Lyle's orders."

Despite agreeing to the proposal to allow itself to exist, the Deep Sea Omen seems to have lost something.

This isn't a bad thing. By retaining our individual personalities and uniting in the face of challenges, we are like five fingers forming a fist. Unity is the greatness in the small.

"Who is the middle finger?" The sudden question almost froze the Omen Giant, his good mood ruined. Shadow Lyle looked at his other self with a dark expression.

The key point isn't the fingertips, but the fist.

"Is that middle finger me?" Deep Sea Omen said, raising that particular finger, its soft, octopus-like joint standing straight at that moment.

The ominous sign began to contemplate the possibility of self-destruction; it was hard to imagine that just minutes before He was overjoyed at the other's return.

[Your thinking is a bit off, another version of myself. I thought you should have learned something from the enemy; after all, that thief wasn't a fool.]

With his hands behind his head, Shenhai Omen floated on the sea surface in a more comfortable position, gazing at the starry sky.

"Once you find a host that is good at thinking, you don't need the ability to think." Deep Sea Omen thinks being a slacker is fine.

The ominous sign revealed that even among fragmented individuals, personality flaws were shared. Unity also means inclusion, and the collection of strengths requires the acceptance of weaknesses. Ironically, he himself became the one who felt resentful.

"Speaking of which, why do we lie dormant in the world of phenomenal spirit? Haven't we already been able to erode reality? Why do we still stay in this chaotic ocean of consciousness?"

He wanted to see the [Foundation] and the [Power]. Since connecting with the Omen, memories of Lyle and Nia had filled in. As the only Omen who had run away from home, He felt He should meet with His true self. With His individual consciousness affirmed, the Deep Sea Omen naturally had many desires; He wanted to go out and see.

Not now, Lyle is working on it.

“I can help him. My authority can assist him in conducting experimental research, whether it’s necromancy or something else.” The Deep Sea Omen’s personality seemed to be very smooth. He was happy to use his power to help Lyle, rather than being a savior like the Omen.

You can't help him.

“Perhaps we have been divided for too long, and you have developed some doubts about the power of God,” the Deep Sea Omen said confidently.

Lyle is reporting to Raymond; can you help with that?

The primal life instinct allowed the ominous sign of the deep sea to quickly assume the role of the spirit behind it. It shrank its body into the sea, with only the sharp horn on its head protruding above the water, rotating left and right like the periscope of a submarine.

"You're right, but why?"

Mr. Darkness has disappeared; Lyle was the last person to contact him.

Chapter 797 The Angel of Vengeance

Sitting in the first row of seats in the Chapel of Holy Light, Lyle looked up at the paladin before him. Mr. Raymond stood before him, speaking to him in a suppressed urgency. If the person before him hadn't been Lyle, Mr. Raymond might have grabbed him by the collar, forcing him to look him in the eye.

Elian sat on the other side of the bench, maintaining a perfect distance—present yet not intrusive. It was unclear whether she was favoring her archbishop or a promising newcomer favored by the Holy Light.

"Lyle, George has disappeared!"

“I understand, Mr. Raymond… What I mean is, Mr. Dark is not a rigid person who strictly adheres to attendance and demands punctuality.” In most cases, Dark is in a state of long-term absence, and the time he appears in the public eye is almost equal to the time he is punished at the threshold of the Executive Committee.

"Perhaps Mr. Darkness will jump out on his own at some point and cause a big commotion. That's the kind of president of the literary society I know."

Raymond clenched his fists and bumped them together, his worry undiminished.

"No, this time is different. This time is different. Because of his disappearance, the members of the literary society are restless. This is a bad omen."

Lyle wanted to say that the literary society was never quiet, but chose to remain silent in this somber atmosphere.

No one spoke, and the atmosphere became tense.

“Lyle, do you remember what His Majesty Saint George said to you during our last meeting?” Elian leaned closer, his forward posture releasing a scent of perfume.

Lyle and Raymond kept their distance. Raymond found the smell strange because he had never encountered it before, while Lyle didn't want it on him. Ariana had once jokingly claimed that she could even smell the ghost of the Banshee, and Lyle didn't want to try it out himself.

"I didn't find Mr. Darkness any different. He was hiding in the shadows around the corner as usual, then suddenly jumped out and blocked the road, pulling his cloak to cover half his face. Like an unlicensed black marketeer, he whispered in my ear: 'Want to understand the meaning of life? Want to understand the essence of life?'"

Elian gave up trying to decipher the meaning behind His Holiness St. George's various actions; an archbishop was enough for her already.

"What does that mean, Lyle?"

"Mr. Darkness made me fill out the application form for the literary club, wanting me to become his subordinate in written form as well." As for the rumors, the Necromancer Figure Club has become the second most notorious gang.

Raymond was very forgiving of his brothers. Even with his preferred Pure One, he didn't mind allowing his brother to develop a closer relationship with Lyle. George is my brother, Lyle is my Pure One, and if George and Lyle become closer... well... that's a good thing!

But this timing is a bit problematic.

"Why would he want to recruit you at this time? George, what are you planning now, you fool..." Raymond muttered to himself, clutching the edge of his helmet. The rhythm of light fluctuated erratically under the influence of the paladin's emotions. The leader of the Crusades is always a man of action.

"No, I can't keep dwelling on these issues. I need to find George right now!" He brushed past Lyle, then forcefully pushed open the chapel door. Raymond's voice still echoed in the air, like the lingering power of holy light.

"Take good care of Lyle, Elian. I'll handle everything."

Lyle's face fell immediately when he saw the nun's expression; the way she looked at him was like a chaotic mix of light and shadow.

"Miss...Ariel?"

The nun of holy light quickly returned to her dignified and gentle appearance, and Elian lowered her eyelids, smiling gently.

“I’m sorry, Lyle, all high spellcasters can sense an impending upheaval, and at this critical moment, His Majesty Saint Raymond cannot suppress his childlike innocence. Please forgive his rudeness; his heart is already in turmoil because of His Majesty George.”

Lyle nodded in understanding. In fact, he was relieved by Mr. Raymond's somewhat normal words and actions. Putting aside his heavy expectations, Mr. Raymond was just an arrogant king of the times.

"Why does Mr. Raymond seem so certain that Mr. Darkness will run into trouble, as if he knows what's going to happen?"

Elian shook his head.

“Actually, we don’t have any clues. Paladins always trust their instincts. I can’t understand Mr. Raymond’s agitation either, and can only glean some guesses from His Majesty’s words.”

"Appreciate further details."

“Alright, Lofdi went out to search, and His Majesty Raymond also left. It shouldn’t matter if I tell you secretly, and according to His Majesty’s standards, you are also an insider of the Holy Light. So I’ll be frank. We suspect that His Majesty Saint George has already awakened the power of concepts, and he is making some arrangements using his own laws.”

Has Mr. Darkness advanced to level nine locks? Has the Holy Light faction introduced a second concept?

Having wielded the power of "Justice" and experienced the authority of "Mysticism," Lyle was deeply impressed by these divine powers. However, shouldn't the ninth level of the Chains be incredibly difficult to break through? This hurdle had held several dragon priests back for their entire lives. The tenth-chained dragon father, Yemotar, was a part of God himself, while Raymond's ascension was due to slaying a dragon. These unrepeatable feats destined them to transcend all life. Andre Academy even used the concept as a theoretical model, and many spellcasters were willing to become slaves to the rules just to master its power.

And then, Mr. Darkness appeared just like that?

"That's just your suspicion."

"The holy scriptures record that the most outstanding and exceptional warriors in the Crusades, those who have long discerned the path and foreseen the future, are the ones who can become leaders of the legions. The power of the Holy Light is all-encompassing. The four angels are geniuses who far surpass anyone else in talent and enlightenment, bearing the future of the human race with absolute awareness. This is the oath the angels made to the Pope."

With the establishment of the Holy Light forces in the Age of Dragons, the oppressed situation created new heroes. Lyle said that this was understandable, but one overpowered person was enough.

"The angels of earth unite people's hearts, the angels of water protect purity, the angels of fire bring down punishment, and the angels of light never yield."

"The four angels each have their own duties, bestowing their blessings upon their legions. Raphael's legion is of one mind despite its differences, Galarón's legion can see through the fog to reach the source, George's legion hones its blade, and His Holiness Saint Raymond bestows upon the paladins the blessing of defense, resistance to all forces."

"His Majesty Raymond once said that His Majesty George was only one step away from the Nine Locks. Perhaps he had the concept but just kept it hidden."