When Lucian walked out of Backlund's Church of the Evernight Goddess, the incredible reality of his situation finally sank in.
His current state resembled transmigration, yet he possessed no memories from before. He knew only his name—Lucian · Sotos—and recalled reading a book titled "Zhou Mingrui's Biography," which chronicled the life of Zhou Mingrui, also known as Klein, the Fool, the Lord of Mysteries.
To be precise, it detailed future events. According to a nun he had questioned, today was December 1348. Zhou Mingrui's Biography would begin next June, when the Lord of Mysteries named Zhou Mingrui would descend upon this world—heralding the approach of the doomsday foretold in the book.
Lucian was not one to surrender easily. He intended not merely to survive the coming apocalypse but to thrive, rather than living each day gripped by fear.
The biography suggested that if he were to cultivate Klein's friendship now, he might secure the protection of the future Lord of Mysteries during doomsday. But such planning seemed unnecessary to Lucian. Klein would eventually become the Lord of Mysteries of Birth and Existence, and any relationship built on impure motives would certainly not escape the notice of one known as the King of Space and Time.
Moreover, passively awaiting another's charity paled in comparison to mastering power himself—especially when he possessed the advantage of prior knowledge. To squander such an edge would be foolish.
According to Zhou Mingrui's Biography, several pathways still offered opportunities for godhood: the Red Priest, the Black Emperor, the Adjudicator, the Wheel of Fortune. If one could isolate Outer Gods or overcome the limitations of gender and source characteristics, the Bound One, the Moon, the Abyss, and the Hermit pathways might also be viable.
Yet while all these pathways held promise, Lucian understood that the waters ran deep. Without sufficient background and support, godhood remained virtually unattainable for a lone individual.
Consider the Wheel of Fortune pathway: all Sequence 1 characteristics already had owners, with two possessors monopolizing all items necessary for advancing to Sequence 0. One was the Angel King backed by a True God, the other an ancient artifact with uniqueness. In short, though this pathway lacked a Sequence 0 holder, he couldn't even hope to reach Sequence 1!
Three days had passed since his arrival in this world. He had suddenly appeared beside Backlund's Church of the Evernight Goddess, initially devoid of all life characteristics—indistinguishable from a corpse.
The Night Watchers, seeking to prevent mystical changes to his remains, had decently buried him in the cemetery adjoining the Church of the Evernight Goddess.
When he "came back to life," he found himself trapped in a confined space, expending considerable effort to claw his way through soil that had not yet fully hardened.
Unlike Klein, Fortune did not smile upon him. Within fifteen minutes of emerging from the cemetery, he was apprehended by Night Watchers.
While his proximity to Backlund's Church of the Evernight Goddess cemetery likely contributed to his swift capture, Lucian attributed it primarily to his mediocre luck—further evidence that he was ill-suited for the luck-dependent Wheel of Fortune pathway.
For reasons unknown, the Church of the Evernight Goddess did not trouble this suspicious character of mysterious origin who had seemingly resurrected. Instead, upon his departure, the church bishop gifted him approximately two thousand pounds as "mental compensation."
The bishop had kindly stated: "Respected Mr. Lucian · Sotos, we deeply apologize for the error of burying you. Please accept this small compensation for your troubles."
Lucian had happily accepted the money. He genuinely needed funds and had no desire to live as precariously as a certain "poor god" he'd read about.
Upon leaving the Church of the Evernight Goddess, the reality of this world finally washed over him. A layer of light smog hung in the air, while the persistent churning of unknown machinery created a sound akin to brainwashing music.
Unfortunately, Backlund was overcast today. The bustling city somehow lacked vitality—developed yet backward. Lucian struggled to articulate everything he witnessed, silently absorbing the unique characteristics of this era.
After wandering aimlessly, he reached a nearby pool and glimpsed his reflection in the water.
Silver-white short hair, eyes as deep as the night, delicate and exquisite features. Despite three days in a cemetery, his silk garments remained spotless.
What captured Lucian's attention most was the necklace around his neck—or more precisely, its pendant. The small apple-shaped jewel was completely silver-white, adorned with two carved silver leaves at its base: exquisite, gorgeous, soul-captivating.
The moment Lucian touched the necklace, he seemed to experience endless time, gazing upon a boundless starry sky.
Coming back to himself, he realized he'd been standing by the pool, daydreaming—triggered by information that had materialized in his mind:
Sequence 9: Passerby
You are an observer of fate, an outsider beyond predetermined destiny, able to see fate, yet indifferent to it. You are merely a passing visitor in the events of fate, and the only thing you can do is silently watch as predetermined fate descends.
Formula: A pair of bronze hummingbird eyes + one dried adult black-pupil chameleon.
Auxiliary materials: 80ml pure water + 10g swamp willow bark + 8 moon flowers.
Lucian now understood he had no choice. Just as this brief introduction declared, he could only indifferently watch as predetermined fate descended.
This was a pathway called the Tower of Destiny, and the uniqueness of this pathway was the "Cause and Effect" jewel hanging from his chest.
Cause and Effect allowed its holder to glimpse an inescapable future—one that could not be rewritten, deceived, or avoided through any means.
And the future he now saw was difficult to accept.
In this vision, he stood surrounded by black-robed preachers, their garments embroidered with blood-red roses. Crimson liquid splattered his surroundings, while several lifeless corpses lay irregularly piled to one side. These corpses had dutifully blocked his front even after death—willing but ultimately unable to help.
In this moment of his vision, he had nowhere to escape!
Though brief, the future shown by Cause and Effect was vivid, giving Lucian the sensation of actually experiencing it. He could feel his future self's uneasiness—that panic when facing despair yet being powerless to act.
"Does this uniqueness called Cause and Effect also enjoy killing its holder?" he wondered.
In the desperate future scenario, he sensed no escape route. Perhaps at that moment, he would place all hope in some vague miracle—the only way to maintain any semblance of peace.
No matter how desperate this foretold future appeared, he must first become extraordinary. An ordinary person facing such a situation would find no way out; only an extraordinary individual might glimpse hope of turning the tide.
Lucian refused to be bound by so-called fate. The uniqueness of unknown origin he possessed might constitute an enormous trap. It seemed possible that upon advancing to a certain sequence, he would cease to be himself.
Most critically, all information he possessed came through Cause and Effect. Was this supposedly unchangeable future truly immutable?
Perhaps this immutability was merely relative to beings of equal standing. The Tower of Destiny pathway resembled the Wheel of Fortune pathway; perhaps he could first become Sequence 9 of the Wheel of Fortune pathway. Even if later forced to choose the Tower of Destiny, he might still find a way to revert.
The Tower of Destiny... likely related to the Outer God known as the Circle of Destiny.
Though not a pillar-level Old One, the Circle of Destiny ranked among the premier Old Ones. Currently, He coveted the Key of Light outside the Original Creator's barrier.
Should He succeed, even if unable to become a pillar-level Old One, He would rank only marginally lower.
Lucian recalled that the Lord of Mysteries bore the honorific title "destiny beacon." If the Circle of Destiny were to swallow the Key of Light and tear flesh from the Sefirah Castle, ascension to pillar-level Old One status would become virtually certain.
The Circle of Destiny had lacked such opportunity previously, but with the gradual deterioration of the Original Creator's barrier and the Lord of Mysteries's dormancy, He might seize this chance.
According to Zhou Mingrui's Biography, the Circle of Destiny's plan apparently failed. Could this explain Lucian's presence here?
He found it difficult not to connect the Tower of Destiny pathway with the Circle of Destiny—both represented fate's inevitability.
Meanwhile, the Key of Light sealed by the Lord of Mysteries in the Western Continent and the Wheel of Fortune pathway represented fate's uncertainty.
Rather than considering himself some chosen one, Lucian believed himself a tool of the Circle of Destiny, a puppet of fate—just as Zhou Mingrui had been initially. Had the Evernight Goddess not intervened, Zhou Mingrui would have become the Lord of Mysteries the moment he fell from the Sefirah Castle.
With this thought, Lucian glanced back at the Church of the Evernight Goddess, and another curious idea formed in his mind.
Could his sudden appearance near the church have been orchestrated by the Evernight Goddess? Only this would explain why the bishop had troubled him so little.
"Should I return and ask?"
Once this thought surfaced, Lucian could not suppress it.
"Even as a ghost, I want to die knowing the truth!"
Lucian resolved that the Tower of Destiny pathway's waters ran too deep for him to navigate alone.
In this world where knowledge was toxic, he doubted that the golden finger suddenly bestowed upon him was beneficial. The fact that he possessed extensive knowledge of Outer Gods and forbidden lore without contamination proved many of his conjectures correct.
Compared to the seemingly predetermined Tower of Destiny pathway, he might prefer competing with that "hotpot angel" for the Red Priest pathway!
Just as Lucian prepared to turn back, the Church of the Evernight Goddess before him suddenly turned gray and flickering. Everything around him appeared pixelated.
His vision blurred as the scene shifted from the Church of the Evernight Goddess to a boundless starry sky.
In this moment, he glimpsed what seemed the most perfect thing in existence. It permeated beginning and end, present everywhere.
All truth, a flawless circle!
Before he could focus clearly, darkness descended, obscuring his vision. After this, even time and space lost meaning.
The unspeakable and indescribable transformed in ways beyond comprehension. Countless things appeared around him, like lines tightly entangling him, constricting his breath.
In this place beyond time and space, his thoughts gradually subsided. He lost track of duration—it seemed eternal yet instantaneous. A ray of light pierced the darkness, omnipresent illumination squeezing darkness's living space.
Light filled everything as darkness retreated, leaving only slight shadow before vanishing. Light and darkness coexisted, as did madness and reason, as did the Creator, the Old Ones, and the Ancient Sun God.
Hazy consciousness gradually clarified as the young man who had collapsed on the hospital bed slightly furrowed his brows.
The air carried a faint aroma of food, awakening Lucian's hunger.
Familiar room, fragmented memories—he couldn't recall what had transpired, remembering only that he had fainted without warning before the Church of the Evernight Goddess.
The deeply paranoid Lucian began imagining various possibilities until heavy knocking pulled him back to reality.
"Mr. Lucian, here is lunch provided by the church. The bishop says your body has not yet recovered; you may rest here during this period."
Before Lucian could respond, the nun deposited the meal and hurriedly departed, leaving him no opportunity to inquire about recent events.
Only after his headache subsided did he recall what had happened earlier. With memory came despair enveloping his heart.
The Evernight Goddess might no longer be able to save him. The facts aligned with his suspicions.
At this moment, the small apple-shaped jewel hanging from his neck refracted silver-white light with hints of scorching heat.
On his chest, beneath his clothes, silver-white circles overlapped on the necklace's back, forming a strange yet aesthetically pleasing pattern.
Lucian felt no satisfaction from having guessed correctly—he would rather all his conjectures prove wrong, everything merely imagination.
Unfortunately, he had no choice in the matter.
He no longer expected the Evernight Goddess's intervention. Had she been willing to help, she would have done so already. The Circle of Destiny's aura manifesting outside Backlund's Church of the Evernight Goddess could not have escaped her notice.
If the goddess remained inactive in this situation, only two possibilities existed: either she chose not to intervene, or she lacked solutions.
Regardless of which proved true, further communication with the Evernight Goddess seemed unnecessary. Her stance appeared clear—by allowing Lucian to remain in the Church of the Evernight Goddess, she demonstrated, at minimum, a friendly disposition toward him.
One might believe in a deity's might, but never in a deity's mercy. Fate had already marked the price for all things.
So, what do you want to take from me, he wondered, and what can you take away from me?