"I once asked Mr. Bethel if he was afraid of losing his humanity. He's braver than I am, and he craves that power more…" Klein said, recalling his past conversation with Bethel.
At the time, he had asked. "Mr. Bethel, aren't you afraid? Becoming the Lord of Mysteries means an endless struggle with the Celestial Worthy, and nearly losing your humanity… I'm terrified."
How had Bethel responded?
Bethel had fallen silent for a moment before smiling. "I'm afraid too, but I crave this power more. I want to grow stronger, to reach the pinnacle of the Sequences. I've been powerless before... when I fell into the Mother Goddess of Depravity's hands, every second of being suppressed by that corruption. That's why I yearn for this power."
"Klein…" Bethel had looked at him, his gaze gentle, like an elder watching over a younger family member. "I also want to use this power to protect you, this world, and everyone and everything I care about."
"I refuse to be powerless again," Bethel had said, clapping Klein on the shoulder. "I know you might not understand this feeling, and that's not a bad thing. Feeling powerless isn't something to aspire to. You're still young, and the young should grow freely under the protection of their elders, not be forced to mature too soon or pushed onto a pedestal as a sacrificial savior."
It was hard to pinpoint Klein's emotions upon hearing those words. He felt a mix of grievance and relief, on the verge of tears, though he couldn't quite explain why.
He couldn't help but say, "Thank you, Mr. Bethel."
"No need to thank me. I should be thanking you for giving me Sefirah Castle, for giving me the chance to become the Lord of Mysteries," Bethel replied with a smile.
After collecting himself, Klein, a bit embarrassed, shifted the topic. "…I'm not really a kid anymore. I'm in my twenties."
"Are you sure you want to say that in front of someone over two thousand years old?" Bethel laughed, his gaze warm. Then, teasingly, he added, "Of course, if you count the years you were asleep, you're definitely not a kid anymore."
The Transmigrators matter wasn't a secret to Bethel.
"Uh…" Klein faltered. While he didn't feel like a child, he also didn't see himself as some millennia-old relic.
Those thousands of years in slumber had passed like a blink, leaving no real sense of time. Without evidence confirming his long sleep, Klein might have thought it was a joke.
"So don't talk about age in front of me. Twenties… that's too young," Bethel said, his expression tinged with nostalgia. To him, someone in their twenties was practically a fledgling.
Snapping out of his reverie, Klein looked at Alaric earnestly. "Mr. Bethel is the better candidate. I hope he becomes the Lord of Mysteries."
"You've grown, even preempting my questions," Alaric said with a chuckle. "Since you have no regrets, I won't say more. But…"
He shifted gears, grinning. "Mr. Fool, have you considered where the Tarot Club will meet if you give up Sefirah Castle?"
…
"Uh…" Klein blinked, caught off guard. He hadn't thought about it. After a moment, he said, "I could ask Mr. Bethel to borrow the venue. He probably wouldn't refuse."
"That's true," Alaric nodded. Given Bethel's personality and his bond with Klein, he likely wouldn't say no.
As they discussed the Lord of Mysteries, Adam's treatment of the Dark Angel Evil Spirit was nearing its end.
Adam stepped back, looking at the evil spirit as it opened its eyes again. "You're just an evil spirit formed from a lingering obsession. Though the Chaos Sea gives you some unique traits, your soul remains fragile. I've completed your soul, but I can't make it inherently strong. Right now, your spiritual strength is about that of an ordinary person."
Souls vary in strength. The more powerful the being, the stronger their soul, and the harder it is to erase. Figures like the Celestial Worthy or the Primordial One could persist like stubborn insects, while ordinary souls dissipate quickly after death without intervention, rarely able to reform.
That's why high-sequence Beyonders often pull off resurrections, while ordinary people rarely do.
"…It's enough," The Dark Angel Evil Spirit said, unsurprised. It then seemed to test something, a faint trace of the Chaos Sea's aura coiling around it.
"How is it?" Adam asked, clearly aware of what it was doing.
"I'm something like an incarnation of the Chaos Sea's will... though a very weak one. I can't wield the entire Chaos Sea, only a small fraction of its power," The evil spirit explained, letting the aura dissipate. "But if any of you want to harness the Chaos Sea, my presence could make it easier."
Its existence was unique. Though merely an obsession, its long coexistence with the Chaos Sea had shaped it into something extraordinary.
"That's plenty," Adam said, his expression neutral, neither disappointed nor pleased.
Alaric approached, having overheard. He nodded, satisfied. "I was just testing the waters. Getting this far is great... why ask for more?"
"More importantly…" Alaric extended a hand to the evil spirit with a smile. "Welcome to the 24/7/365 family."
He didn't care much about how much of the Chaos Sea's power the evil spirit could wield. He wasn't lacking in combat strength... heck, he could even summon the Primordial One if needed.
What Alaric truly valued was the Dark Angel Evil Spirit's work ethic, inherited from Sasrir.
"Work 365 days a year, 24 hours a day?" The evil spirit shook his hand, catching the meaning behind the numbers despite not having surfed the web in millennia.
"Exactly!" Alaric nodded unabashedly.
***
The story has officially concluded with Chapter 491 on Patron, so if you want to read the ending early, feel free to check it out on Patron.
And if you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)