Taking a few deep breaths, Ebner gradually calmed down. He carefully reflected on everything he had seen and heard since getting involved in the "Sea Monster" incident and suddenly sensed that something was off.
Recalling his earlier speculation, he thought to himself with a touch of self-mockery:
Heh, when did I become so narcissistic?
Even if the Mother Tree of Desire disguised and deceived in this matter, it was to conceal things from the three gods behind me, not from me...
That "Proof of Lost Mind" necklace—I had examined it several times with the "Pure White Eye." Under its "analysis," the result was that everything appeared normal... Just like in Owen's memory, it was in a "sealed" state, with only limited abilities available.
And the one who "sealed" it... although Owen did not know the name of that existence, without a doubt, it was Adam!
Did Adam and the Mother Tree of Desire join forces? So at the critical moment, the seal was lifted to deceive me, deceive the Evernight Goddess, deceive Lilith, and even deceive the God of Knowledge?
Well, Adam probably wouldn't be that crazy... but Amon might...
Heh, it seems that while the space behind my "Pure White Eye" might have a high rank, its "analytical" ability also has limits... At least, it couldn't pierce through the misdirection of the Mother Tree of Desire...
But that wasn't strange. After all, in the original work, the Mother Tree of Desire could even interfere with Klein's divination inside the Sefirah Castle!
In any case, being misled by the Mother Tree of Desire was beyond doubt...
Then, the next question... Did Lilith, the Evernight Goddess, and the God of Knowledge also get deceived?
Hmm, after I went to Intis and Lilith assigned me two tasks, she never used a "vessel" to meet me again... She only conveyed oracles through Bishop Utravsky...
I had thought this was normal before... but now, thinking back, it did feel a little strange... After all, she didn't avoid meeting me in such a manner previously... Unless it was deliberately staged for someone to see...
If I make a bold guess, if the Mother Tree had been plotting since that time... does it mean Lilith deliberately avoided meeting me?
So that when I later obtained the "Proof of Lost Mind," I wouldn't show it to her? Because if she failed to expose it, it would look fake, alerting the Mother Tree?
As for the Evernight Goddess and the God of Knowledge—I had too little contact to judge... but with their wisdom, it was hard to imagine they noticed nothing...
Hah... then, let's suppose the three gods had already known about the Mother Tree's plan, yet all pretended to be deceived, silently allowing me to carry the "Proof of Lost Mind" into the Sea Monster's mind, letting the Mother Tree of Desire successfully infect the Tenebrous World...
What was their purpose in doing so?
Perhaps... the Tenebrous World was actually a trap? Or maybe they intended to use the Tenebrous World to tie down the Mother Tree of Desire's attention, achieving another goal?
After all, there was still the barrier outside Earth, and the Tenebrous World was still sealed by the gray fog within the Western Continent. It was impossible for the Mother Tree of Desire to seize that primal source in a short time. At most, it would gain an advantage when the apocalypse arrived...
Perhaps there were other reasons as well... The thoughts of gods were truly unfathomable...
Sighing, although he had no evidence, Ebner was convinced that Lilith, the Evernight Goddess, and the God of Knowledge must be "in the know." After all, even if others didn't understand, did he not know how much they valued him?
Even if it was just his avatar carrying an item tainted by the Mother Tree, could they really fail to notice? That would be a joke!
They must have had their own plans, which was why they pretended not to see through the Mother Tree's deception.
While Ebner's true body was hiding in the seabed cave outside the island, pondering all this, he did not forget to direct Owen's avatar to launch a final assault on the mind of the Sea Monster "Segust," which had lost the protection of the Tenebrous World.
"Mind Deprivation," "Mental Plague," "Psychic Breath"...
Owen's avatar, controlled by Ebner, wantonly ravaged the Sea Monster's mind. Already weakened after losing the Tenebrous World's power balance, it collapsed completely!
For ordinary people or Beyonders, a collapsed mind could easily lead to mutation into monsters... but this Sea Monster was already a "monster." Thus, like the Sea God Kalvetua, its soul quickly perished entirely amidst the collapse, and its body crumbled apart with a loud crash...
It had fallen!
Or rather, it had long been due to fall. For so many years, it had barely lingered on with the power of the Tenebrous World. Now that it lost its support, and with Ebner giving it one last push, it naturally could not escape its fate.
Ebner exited from its mental island and came to its massive corpse. While "collecting" useful materials, he waited for the trait's extraction.
.....
Before the Sea Monster's death, as the power of the Mother Tree of Desire pursued the fleeing "Shadow," the angels and demigods of the Rose School and the Nois family outside the island seemed to sense something. They were first stunned, revealing inner unease, then each used their means to flee the battlefield.
The three "Devils" who had been blocked by the "Magic Mirror" and Serro were the first to withdraw. They already held the upper hand, with the initiative in their grasp, and Devils excelled at survival. They vanished swiftly without a trace.
The four demigods of the Rose School fighting against Cullen, Helen, and Closfia were not as fortunate. Among them, the "Silent One" Mahmosi and two other "Puppets" could use "spirit world traversal," making pursuit difficult for Helen and the others... but the "Shaman King" Klarman was intercepted by Miss "Greed," who had been lying in ambush nearby for support.
This "Shaman King," who had been active in the Southern Continent since the early Fifth Epoch, had already suffered a great decline in state after Lilith reclaimed the "Goddess of Beauty" authority of the Primordial Moon.
After all, the reason Klarman had remained vigorous and active even at nearly 1,400 years old was thanks to the blessing of the Primordial Moon.
Normally, the natural lifespan limit of a vampire earl was only about 1,200 years.
Seeing himself surrounded by four demigods, Klarman, with his disheveled black-and-white hair, wore a grim expression. Suddenly, his right shoulder squirmed, something tearing his black robe as it emerged.
It was a finely crafted male doll, only palm-sized, dressed in a dark red suit embroidered with golden patterns. Its eyes had been gouged out, leaving only two black holes.
This doll sat upon Klarman's shoulder, raising both hands. Its ten fingers pressed and tapped, as though playing an invisible instrument.
Miss "Greed," who had transformed into a dragon, immediately felt severe restraints. Her form shrank rapidly, forcing her to revert back into a human.
On the other side, Cullen also felt his clothes tighten suddenly, binding him tightly.
His bow tie even came alive, attempting to strangle him mid-air.
That doll was a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact given to Klarman by the Rose School, called the "Eyeless General." It was formed from the corpse of a Sequence 4 demigod of the "Aberration" pathway who had died unexpectedly.
It had the characteristic of being alive, capable of attaching to animate things or awakening inanimate objects in accordance with its owner's will. However, its owner had to feed it with their own flesh and blood, or else it would gradually grow eyes.
And once this Sealed Artifact became whole, it would transform into a vengeful spirit that hunted down its original owner and hated all humans.
Seeing this, Helen had no choice but to "summon" a beam of light that enveloped her son, dispelling all shadows and evil. Although this harmed Cullen somewhat, as someone who had long possessed a Sealed Artifact of the "Sun" pathway, he was already accustomed to such injuries. Taking the chance, he transformed into moonlight and escaped the influence of the "Eyeless General."
Meanwhile, "Greed," with the help of "Sloth" Closfia, also dispelled the Sealed Artifact's possession.
But by then, Klarman had already muttered an indistinct word with a cruel smile, stretching his hands forward, attempting to forcibly open a "Gate of Summoning"!
This was an ability only the Sequence 3 "High Summoner" of the "Moon" pathway could wield. Yet after defecting to the Mother Tree of Desire, Klarman had received her "reward," allowing him to pay a price to use this power beyond his level.
But his cruel smile froze instantly—for he had shamefully failed...
"How... how could this be?!" Klarman was shaken, unable to believe the Mother Tree of Desire had abandoned him.
At this time, the four demigods had closed in once more, sealing his fate.
Inside the seabed cave, Ebner observed the scene. Amused, he also became thoughtful:
Perhaps this was one of the effects the gods desired?
With most of the Mother Tree of Desire's attention entangled with the Tenebrous World, aside from a few favored followers such as Siah, she neither wished to, nor could spare, the effort to save the rest of her subordinates?
As Ebner thought this, he suddenly saw an exquisitely beautiful doll fly out of his pocket, expanding from palm-size to life-size in an instant...
The doll resembled a little girl in a luxurious gown, adorned with gleaming jewelry, just like a noble young lady attending a ball.
Ebner recognized her immediately—after all, this was one of Emlyn's favorite collectibles. While not the most expensive, it was absolutely the "Moon" gentleman's "treasure."
And the one fond of taking Emlyn's dolls... The "Spiritual Angel" Tolzna? But judging from how much she liked female dolls, perhaps she should be called Tolzna instead.
When did she slip into my pocket?
Hmm, after escaping with the uniqueness of the "Chained God," she had always been under Lilith's protection...
So, she was actually sent by Lilith to protect me?
Just as Ebner realized this, he saw the doll first glance at the distant battlefield where Azik, Reinette, and the "Life-Producer" monster fought.
Seeing that the monster had retreated, her gaze grew empty, as if staring into the void...
Moments later, regret appeared clearly on her doll-like face as she shifted her sight to the last battlefield on the island, shrouded in black mist.
"What happened?" Ebner cautiously asked.
"I just cursed Barranca, but he still managed to escape... though he's gravely injured and won't be able to return to his peak within a year." The doll vibrated the air, answering naturally.
Remembering how clumsy she was in speech last time when dealing with Talim's curse, and now comparing it with her fluency—could it be because this doll was more expensive?
While Ebner's thoughts drifted, he also recalled who Barranca was—that angel of the Rose School, the one Lady Yalolan had earlier forced back into the spirit world.
Angels were indeed not so easy to kill!
As he sighed, the doll Tolzna seemed to sense his thoughts. Her emerald glass eyes turned to him, seriously explaining:
"It was because I hadn't spoken for over a thousand years, so I was rusty.
"Remember, even in a story, someone who lived in solitude for only sixteen years still needed time to adapt before speaking fluently again—let alone a thousand years. So it wasn't strange."
Uh... I didn't expect her to be so particular about such a trivial matter... But, sixteen years... she couldn't be referring to the "Little Dragon Girl" from The Return of the Condor Heroes, right?
Startled, Ebner cautiously asked, "Who told you the story of those sixteen years?"
The doll stared at him for a moment, then turned her head away, replying, "You guess."
I... Ebner was choked for words, almost raising a hand to his forehead. But just then, the black mist over the island gradually dispersed, revealing two figures.
One was a woman in her twenties with a high-bridged nose and full lips. Wearing skirted armor, she exuded heroic spirit.
Although Ebner didn't recognize her, he saw Princess Vera's shadow in her features. He guessed she was either Vera's elder, or perhaps Vera herself in disguise.
As for the skirted armor—it was all too familiar. Wasn't that the classic Knight King armor? Which transmigrator senior's doing was this?
The other figure was a grotesque demon, nearly four meters tall. Unlike the dignified lady opposite him, his entire body was riddled with wounds, at least seven or eight sword cuts visible. Even one of his demon horns had been broken.
Now, seeing the black mist disperse, he rejoiced, thinking Leticia Tamara's control over that "Grade 0" Sealed Artifact had finally reached its limit, and he was about to counterattack.
But just then, he received information that had been blocked by the black mist: the Mother Tree had merely used him as bait, and her objective had already been achieved...
In that case, his situation was perilous!
Although it was an honor to sacrifice for the Mother Tree, if he could live, he would still fight for survival!
Thinking this, Grand Duke of Blood El von Nois could no longer spare any thought for the woman before him. He immediately changed tactics, unhesitatingly transforming his body into "blood," seeking to merge with the surroundings.
Once the "Deep Sea Festival" ritual activated, this island temporarily intersected with the projection of the first layer of the Tenebrous World. Thus, before May 1st, one could enter but not leave.
Even though the Sea Monster had died, the prerequisite of the ritual was complete, and this trait would not change.
But as a Moon pathway angel, El clearly knew the ritual better... He knew he couldn't return to reality without the corresponding authority or status. But by altering his form and becoming part of the "filth," he could briefly enter the first layer of the Tenebrous World's projection.
And that projection of the first layer of the Tenebrous World was linked to the "Abyss"! He could completely take a detour through the Abyss to escape... Though it was still dangerous there, at least it wouldn't be as deadly as being surrounded by several angels.
Not far away, Leticia Tamara merely watched quietly without moving, because she had already noticed that a doll outside the island had broken one of its fingers.
The Grand Duke of Blood El, who had just merged into the "Shadow," was immediately struck by the curse. He transformed into a blood-marked toad on the spot. Yet he still managed, in the brief moment before the curse fully descended, to pass through the first layer of the Tenebrous World and reach the Abyss's entrance.
Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, preparing to hide and deal with the curse, a slightly playful voice suddenly rang in his ear:
"To meet you here truly is a gift of destiny... don't you agree, Mr. El von Nois?"
"Yaldabaoth?!
"How are you here?"
The pitiful Grand Duke of Blood El tried to cry out in shock—but only croaked "gua."
(The End of the Chapter)