After a pause, Bernadette's tone, unusually emotional, said:
"Father has reached an agreement with 'Darkness.' The Trunsoest Brass Book, evolved from a Justiciar Uniqueness, will belong to Southern Intis, but we need to find Larrion ourselves and retrieve it."
"As the price for the transaction, he needs to leave reality and go to the Astral World to open up a Divine Kingdom, filling the void left by the Lord of Storms and the God of Combat, and together with the Eternal Blazing Sun and other True Gods, block the erosion and infiltration of the Primordial One's barrier by the Outer Deities from the Cosmos."
"This is inevitable. The Seven Deities have undergone too many changes, and the Divine Kingdoms filling the barrier in the Astral World are difficult to maintain. New Gods must be added to supplement them."
Leyton nodded, not surprised that darkness would have Roselle go to the Astral World to plug the cracks.
If the Lord of Storms, who had fallen from His position, continued to remain in the Astral World, in the Chasm of Storms, He would only be eroded and polluted by Outer Deities, becoming part of their descent into reality.
There were not many existences that could replace the Lord of Storms and the God of Combat. Compared to the True Creator, the Eternal Blazing Sun and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom were undoubtedly more inclined towards Roselle.
While contemplating, Leyton reminded him:
"As a contingency for the God of Combat's resurrection, that former chief Shepherd might have the Hand of God characteristic. Darkness and Lilith, to end the war quickly, will not intentionally intercept these characteristics."
Bernadette nodded slightly and said, "I will pay attention. In this matter, Arianna, the head of the Church of Evernight, will also provide some assistance."
Leyton nodded, skipping the topic, and said, "Having just completed the coronation ceremony and gone to the Astral World, what is the current state of Southern Intis?"
"Subsequent matters have all been handed over to Bornova and Nast. In Father's words, this is a form of training for them, and as long as the ritual is completed, they can be promoted to Illuminator and Duke of Entropy at any time."
Bernadette spoke casually, then she suddenly paused and looked at Lawrence, who was beside her. This Traveler of the Abraham Family had already woken up. He was now a demigod Secrets Sorcerer.
Having re-familiarized himself with his body, Lawrence grabbed at the void with his right hand. The spatial area in front of him was instantly enveloped in shadows, distorting and splitting into two parts, with one part hidden.
This spatial change was silent and lacked objective measurement indicators, but upon closer inspection, one would notice that the bushes on both sides of the road had moved a little closer.
This spatial concealment lasted for less than two seconds before everything returned to normal.
After manifesting his body, Lawrence's figure suddenly became illusory, transforming into one illusory Door after another, layer upon layer, one connecting to another, countless in number.
His body continuously appeared behind one "Door" after another, as if walking in the cracks of reality, seemingly close at hand, yet impossible to touch.
After using all his Beyonder abilities, Lawrence finally stopped and walked to Leyton's side, saying with barely concealed excitement:
"Since the Fifth Epoch, the Abraham Family has not had a Secrets Sorcerer. It's been over a thousand years, and today, after more than a thousand years, I have finally succeeded!"
"Finally, I can ask that question that has troubled our family for millennia."
"The answer to the question may not be as bad or as lamentable as you think."
Leyton promptly offered a reminder, but Lawrence, already immersed in his own emotions, did not listen.
Seeing this, Leyton shook his head slightly. Persistence always triumphs over reason. Some things, only by personally uncovering them, can one be truly content.
He turned his head to Bernadette and said, "Create a full Moon effect for him. This is a regret that the Abraham Family has carried for one or two thousand years."
"Mr. Door?" Bernadette nodded knowingly, saying nothing more.
She didn't have much affection for Mr. Door, who had once tempted her father to the Moon, leading to his corruption; in fact, she even disliked him. If it weren't for the corruption, her father's temperament wouldn't have changed so drastically, and all the subsequent events wouldn't have occurred.
Specks of starlight diffused from between her fingers, gathering in the air, tinged with a crimson hue, transforming into an illusory Crimson Moon.
Although it was a full Moon effect created using her mastery of mysticism, the full Moon created by Bernadette, who was already an Angel, would not be inferior to those of the Scarlet Scholar.
As the crimson moonlight shone upon him, the familiar whispers once again echoed in Lawrence's ears.
Unlike before, this time, he finally understood what the other party was saying. Although the voice was still very vague, constantly stimulating his spirit, making his head swell and ache, it was all within the tolerable range.
"Save me, save…"
"Don't save me, don't save me, don't…"
Lawrence's face instantly turned very pale and weak, looking as if he wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
His body trembled uncontrollably, and he choked out, "So, the reason for our family's continuous decline over the past millennium was this, just a faint cry for help…"
Looking at the sorrowful Lawrence, Leyton reminded him in a low voice:
"It's not a full Moon yet; this is when He is in His best state. You can try to communicate with Him."
Taking a long breath, Lawrence nodded and said:
"I understand. The reason you happened to appear here at this time is to prevent me from doing anything irrational, such as helping Mr. Door return to reality?"
"Don't worry, although it's been the Abraham Family's long-cherished wish for thousands of years, I won't lose my mind over it."
Leyton shook his head and explained, "Mr. Door's return is inevitable, and it won't be too long."
Lawrence stared at Leyton for a long while before retracting his gaze. He neither believed nor doubted, merely appearing to have aged significantly in those brief two minutes.
He sighed again, composed himself, clasped his hands together, and prayed with focus and sincerity:
"Great Door of All doors, Guide of the Endless Cosmos, Key to All Mysterious Worlds."
"Great Door of All doors…"
After chanting Mr. Door's honorific name twice, Lawrence suddenly stopped, his eyes appearing somewhat lost. He tilted his head slightly, seemingly listening intently to something.
Leyton and Bernadette exchanged glances, neither speaking.
Under the increasingly profound crimson moonlight, specks of starlight floated out, swaying rhythmically, outlining one symbol after another, Magnifying Mr. Door's whispers on Lawrence's body, echoing all around:
"It's been a thousand years. Finally, someone from the Abraham Family can speak with Me again."
"What's your name?"
This voice was very normal, even amiable, completely different from the earlier roaring cries of "save me" or "don't save me," as if it were a different person entirely.
A hint of doubt flashed in Lawrence's eyes, and the complex emotions swirling within him prevented him from overthinking. Instead, he answered according to the other party's words:
"Lawrence, Lawrence Nord Abraham."
"Lawrence, I remember."
"As a descendant of the Abraham Family, I can vaguely perceive some aspects of your condition. Your body seems to have suffered relatively severe damage in the past. Although it has healed under the modification of the Secrets Sorcerer potion, some effects still remain. Your lifespan will be shorter than that of a normal demigod."
"The best way to resolve this problem is to continue advancing and become an Angel. I remember the Abraham Family still preserves several Sealed Artifacts corresponding to the Planeswalker characteristic. Except for the 'Box of the Great Old Ones,' the others can be used."
"To become a demigod in this era, you must have received the protection of certain existences. Shattering a Sealed Artifact should not be too big of a problem."
The voice echoing in his ears made Lawrence's eyes unconsciously moist. Mr. Door's words sounded very normal, seemingly without any issues, if he hadn't heard the other party's desperate cries for help earlier.
Lawrence nodded with a complex expression and said:
"I know. I have no intention of continuing to advance. I am old, and my loved ones have all passed away. Death is a release for me."
"What supported me in advancing all the way to demigod was the obsession to ask you a question, an obsession and a curse that has plagued the Abraham Family for nearly two millennia."
In his ear, Mr. Door sighed, His tone quite complex, as if filled with regret, helplessness, and lament:
"Lost in the depths of darkness and storm, My mind developed some issues, often becoming insane, constantly roaring, shouting, and transmitting some information to the outside world."
"And as descendants of the Abraham Family, you are undoubtedly the ones most likely to hear these voices."
"However, regardless of whether I harbor ill will, regardless of the reason, the disparity in Beyonder ranks causes those below the demigod level to hear My voice as if hearing the whispers of an Evil God, leading to madness or loss of control."
"Only during the full Moon will My mental state improve, and I will restrain My voice. But this is also when spirituality is strongest, and My connection with you is deepest. Even if I try hard to restrain Myself, some of the roars and shouts I previously emitted will still be transmitted to your ears."
"This is the truth of the curse. Can you accept it?"
Lawrence shook his head blankly, his emotions somewhat uncontrollable, and said:
"I don't know. I just suddenly feel that our Abraham Family's persistence for these thousands of years is like a joke."
"No, your persistence has meaning. At least, now you know the reason, and knowing the problem, you can start thinking of ways to solve it."
"For example, you can allow other family members, like yourself, to avoid My insane roars and live normal lives."
Mr. Door's words were clear and logical, like a benevolent elder caring for his juniors, not at all like He Himself claimed, that He often became insane.