Chapter 337: Angelweed

In the instant he was still pondering, the surrounding environment abruptly changed—the ground began to rise, and the clouds in the sky rapidly lowered.

One after another, enormous gray-white stone pillars, towering into the clouds and engraved with strange patterns and symbols, rose from the ground. At the very front, upon the tallest and most massive of those gray-white stone pillars, the figure of Ariehog stood silently. The surrounding ground rapidly transformed into an orderly arrangement of marble. In the blink of an eye, this place had become a peculiar structure suspended amid the clouds—like a castle, yet also like a temple, combining a primordial and alien aesthetic.

Though it was merely a manifestation within the mind world, it was truly breathtaking. Every divine kingdom was a miracle uniquely belonging to a Sequence 0!

Coiled atop the tallest stone pillar, upon the gray-white scales covering Ariehog's body, one complex, three-dimensional mystical symbol after another began to shine with a mesmerizing radiance. They extended inward into flesh and blood, and outward into the surrounding void, as though connecting to some unknown thing.

Merely seeing these symbols was enough to make one's mind deranged; one's spirit body also became tainted with all sorts of seemingly innate thoughts, making it completely impossible to concentrate.

After a moment, the mystical symbols shining with mesmerizing radiance on Ariehog's body began to withdraw, no longer polluting one's mind merely by being looked at.

"Answer my earlier question."

Ariehog's voice echoed in Rekton Soth's mind, seemingly carrying even greater majesty.

He had just been making some kind of attempt, but it had failed. As soon as his conjecture began to take shape, he erased his extraneous thoughts, then spoke after careful consideration:

"The Pen of Alzuhod must have become part of the transaction between the Night Goddess and Adam. It has already entered Adam's field of vision. The story You once engraved deep within the sea of the collective unconscious will inevitably move toward a different ending."

"Before the 'Knower of All,' there are few secrets to speak of. He can always know everything He wishes to know."

"Helping You may be a choice made out of emotion, or it may stem from the pressure of the Ancient Sun God. As the apocalypse draws near, His return is inevitable."

Ariehog's vertical pale-gold eyes regarded Rekton Soth with some surprise, as though observing whether he was currently guided by his own will, or whether the will of the God of Knowledge had already quietly descended.

After a moment, He withdrew His gaze, and His majestic and grand voice echoed through this palace, through this dreamscape: "I am Ariehog, and I am also Angelweed!"

With this declaration, Angelweed, who had returned through the awakening personality within Ariehog, seemed to have fully accepted the identity of Ariehog.

Rekton Soth used reason to control his thoughts, allowing no stray notions to surface, nor did he speak. He quietly watched the other party, waiting for what would come next.

That faint sense of incongruity on the gray-white giant dragon coiled atop the tall stone pillar vanished completely. What followed was His magnificent voice:

"The Dragon of Wisdom does not possess what you call emotion. He is a born mythical creature, naturally existing in a state of absolute rationality. He can display any state that happens to match your expectations, but those are all merely rational disguises."

"He betrayed Me once, and betrayed the Ancient Sun God once as well. Rationality will lead Him to make the choice most advantageous to Himself at the most critical moment. Do you think He can still find a true ally among the current Seven Gods?"

"..." Rekton Soth remained silent; he felt the other party's words were more meant for the God of Knowledge to hear.

After a brief silence, Angelweed's voice echoed once more: "On the Spectator pathway, the one who has progressed the farthest now is Adam. As for the current Me, I retain only a single Sequence 2 characteristic, and cannot even exert much influence on His schemes."

"I need to take back that copy of the Groselle Travels, as well as the Pen of Alzuhod."

"That pen is under Adam's watch."

Rekton Soth offered a simple reminder.

"The Dragon of Wisdom will have a way. He has always been the most wise of them all."

Angelweed's words were as though stating a fact.

Outside this dreamscape domain, within the broader dream.

Audrey rubbed her forehead with some weariness. She had tried every method she could think of, yet remained unable to wake Rekton Soth from his deep slumber within the dream. "Audrey, he's not responding at all."

Susie, the large golden dog, pulled her head back from Rekton Soth's palm, a trace of scarlet still clinging to her teeth.

Her earlier attempt to wake Rekton Soth with pain had also failed.

"Let me try the Psychiatrist's Beyonder ability. If that still doesn't work, we'll try exploring this dreamscape."

Audrey nodded in response, her expression grave.

A glint of gold surfaced in her eyes, and her pupils abruptly contracted into vertical slits. She intended to use the Psychiatrist's "Intimidation" ability.

Since the gentle method of "Calming" could not awaken Mr. Tynes, she could only try a more intense offensive method that would cause mental confusion.

As these thoughts flickered through her mind, a sheet of pale yellow paper patterned with golden sun motifs drifted down from above and settled quietly on the ground.

"What is this? Where did it come from?"

Audrey looked at Susie beside her in astonishment and suspicion.

The large golden dog shook her head repeatedly, replying with an equally puzzled tone:

"I don't know. It just appeared suddenly, as if it broke into this dream from outside."

Before Susie could finish speaking, a faint brass-colored gleam surfaced on the pale yellow paper lying on the ground, swiftly converging and taking shape in midair.

A somewhat illusory figure emerged and rapidly solidified.

He wore a brownish-yellow hooded robe. His exposed face bore many wrinkles, his hair and beard were a withered yellow, and he held a staff that looked as though it were made from a dead branch.

He regarded the peacefully sleeping Rekton Soth with a genial expression, then turned his gaze toward Audrey and the large golden dog Susie, who had both gone on alert.

After a brief silence, with little change in his expression, he spoke leisurely:

"Good evening, ladies. I have come here to see an old friend."

"An old friend?"

Audrey voiced her puzzlement. She thought of the ancient dragon that had survived from the Second Epoch, which had been mentioned before. Was the old friend this suddenly appearing elderly gentleman spoke of that ancient dragon? Or was he himself that ancient dragon?

While Audrey was still pondering the identity of the old man who had suddenly intruded into this dream, she saw him slightly raise the dead-branch-like staff in his hand and tap it gently against the floor.

Crash!

A sound of illusory things shattering rang out. The surrounding scene crumbled down like shards of broken glass, revealing a deeper layer of dream hidden beneath this dreamscape.

It was a peculiar structure floating in the sky, somewhat resembling a temple, somewhat resembling a palace. Many towering gray-white stone pillars stood around it, but atop these pillars there was nothing—empty, as though something ought to have been coiled upon them.

An incredible building! It was just like a scene from a dream—wait, no, I'm already in a dream right now. Audrey quickly collected herself and subconsciously followed the old man, who was walking forward at a leisurely pace.

He walked very slowly, as if deliberately observing the surrounding environment—yet he did not seem to be on guard against possible danger. It was more as though he was reminiscing about something? Audrey carefully observed her surroundings, observing this suddenly appearing old man.

Susie, the large golden dog, stayed close beside her, gazing lingeringly at the surrounding sights. If I perched atop these tall stone pillars, I would surely look very impressive! (End of this chapter)