The atmosphere in the conference room momentarily became incredibly heavy and sorrowful.
Right at that moment, Ian suddenly reached out and grabbed SpongeBob and Squidward, who were still somewhat dazed by the surging divine power beside him.
These two cartoon figures looked completely out of place among the projections of the many majestic deities.
He flashed a toothy grin at Ye Fan and the others, breaking the heavy atmosphere.
"Come, let me introduce you."
"This one is a variant of the King in Yellow from another world, Hastur." He pointed at the yellow sponge.
Then he pointed at the miserable-looking Squidward. "And this one is a variant of the otherworldly Cthulhu."
"..."
The solemn and tragic emotions that had just welled up in Ye Fan and the others instantly stalled.
Their eyes widened so much they practically popped out of their sockets.
One of Humanity's Ceilings subconsciously rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating from information overload.
Looking at the adorkable square sponge and the octopus with a giant nose and a dead-inside expression...
These... were the legendary Great Old Ones capable of triggering universe-level disasters?
Ian explained further, "The many deities in the Cthulhu Mythos possess a vast number of variants across infinite parallel universes."
"And the one invading our universe, the true and original ultimate mastermind behind the scenes..."
Ian's tone sank slightly.
"Is none other than the leader of the Outer Gods in the Cthulhu Mythos, the Blind Idiot God—Azathoth!"
The moment the name "Azathoth" was mentioned, an indescribable, bone-chilling coldness originating from the depths of their souls suddenly enveloped the entire conference room.
It was as if an invisible shadow was spreading across everyone's hearts.
Their faces instantly turned pale, and their breathing became somewhat labored.
Just as everyone's minds wavered, nearly crushed by that formless terror...
Ian suddenly shifted the conversation.
"However, you don't need to despair too much."
"Based on my observations, the Azathoth currently invading this universe is likely just a relatively weak variant, or an incomplete projection of its power."
"The very fact that it still needs to perform the act of 'invading' a universe proves that its power hasn't reached the true level where it can casually manipulate and alter the rules of a single universe, let alone radiate across the multiverse."
These words allowed the extremely tense nerves of the crowd to relax slightly.
But immediately after, an even deeper dread toward the "true" Azathoth surged in their hearts.
A weak variant or projection had already turned the world upside down.
Just how terrifying of an existence would the true main body be?
Ian didn't give them much time to digest their fear before continuing.
He began to educate these Humanity's Ceilings on the true structure of the cosmos.
"The universe we usually refer to is merely a single universe."
"Beyond a single universe, there exist countless similar yet different parallel universes."
"And the collective entity containing countless parallel universes is what we call—the multiverse."
Ye Fan and the others listened intently. Every word Ian spoke was overturning their previous understanding.
They listened, completely mesmerized, transitioning from initial disbelief to gradually being drawn in by that unimaginably grand worldview.
The more they listened, the more they felt their own insignificance, while simultaneously realizing once again just how unfathomable the man before them was.
However, Ian's next words exploded in their minds like a bombshell.
"And there are still an endless, infinite number of multiverses like this one."
"Above them, there are even higher-tier existences that you currently cannot imagine or comprehend."
The vastness of the cosmos and the hierarchy of existence far exceeded the limits of their imagination.
For a moment, they even felt their minds go blank, their thoughts experiencing a brief crash.
After a long while, Ye Fan and the others barely managed to recover from the massive impact of that information.
He took a deep breath, the churning in his chest still difficult to calm.
He stared at Ian with burning eyes, a gaze filled with awe, confusion, and a trace of hope seeking light amidst despair.
"Then, Your Excellency Ian..."
His voice carried an imperceptible tremble, every word seemingly taking all his strength to utter.
"Facing the Azathoth that is about to invade us... are you... confident?"
The moment his voice fell, all sound in the conference room vanished.
Only the extremely suppressed breathing of the crowd and their drum-like heartbeats remained.
Everyone's gazes were dead-set on Ian, waiting for his answer.
That answer would determine the future of human civilization.
Facing the crowd's extremely tense gazes, the relaxed and composed expression on Ian's face didn't change in the slightest.
He smiled faintly.
In his God Emperor form, his tone was as flat as if he were discussing a trivial matter.
But within that flatness lay an unquestionable confidence.
"Relax."
"I will win."
Those simple words instantly dispelled the gloom accumulating in the hearts of Ye Fan and the others, bringing an indescribable sense of relief and reassurance.
After listening to Ian's series of cosmic science lessons and his casual evaluation of Azathoth...
Lin Qiye completely gave up on thinking.
He silently updated his 'lie flat plan' in his heart.
*'Even against a universe-level final boss like Azathoth, whose very name sounds like certain doom, Brother Ian says he can win.'*
*'It seems my previous lie flat plan was still too conservative. I severely underestimated just how absurd this friend of mine is.'*
*'From now on, if I encounter anything I can't solve, I won't overthink it. I'll just call Ian and be done with it.'*
*'Leave professional matters to the professional (absurd) people.'*
Inside the conference room, Ye Fan and the other Humanity's Ceilings looked at each other in dismay.
They all saw a similar realization in each other's eyes.
In front of Ian, this God Emperor, they, the so-called Humanity's Ceilings, probably weren't even the floor.
They began to think truly and deeply.
How should Great Xia interact with this unfathomable God Emperor in the future?
And where would human civilization head in this crisis that affected the entire universe, and even higher tiers of existence?
Confusion still existed, but because of Ian's presence, a spark named "hope" was added to their hearts.
As the meeting concluded, Ye Fan and the others, carrying an indescribable shock, slowly walked out of the conference room protected by the highest clearance.
Their footsteps were not as steady as when they arrived; instead, they carried a hint of unsteadiness.
It was as if they had just experienced a bizarre yet incredibly real dream.
But their eyes were more resolute than before.
They understood that an unprecedented, universe-level crisis with a scope far beyond imagination was imminent.
And Ian would be human civilization's sole and ultimate reliance in this catastrophe.
Outside the conference room, the sunlight remained bright and beautiful.