No one needed to introduce them—each of the four half-gods present clearly recognized the fact that the man sleeping upon the iron-black throne, towering in height like a giant, was none other than the God’s left hand, the Deputy King of Heaven, the "Dark Angel" Sathelir! Among them, Lovieya distinctly felt the weight of presence emanating from the absolute sovereign—a pressure akin to that experienced when praying directly to the "True Creator," one that could disorient thought, make the soul feel as though it were falling, and cause the body to tremble. Suddenly, she heard a laugh. With a sense of bewilderment and mild astonishment, she turned toward the person beside her. Just now, they instinctively began to consider the first question, a crucial one that would determine what to do next. Colin Iliad thought for a moment and said, "Don't wake Him up yet. Instead, approach slowly, gather clues, and collect intelligence." "That's exactly what I had in mind," said Kline, casually tapping his left finger once, and then stepping toward the dark iron throne. At that moment, he felt particularly relieved—relieved that he had resolved the issue of the 'shadow,' restoring the spirit's integrity, otherwise he would have been completely unable to contain the virtual persona. During his simulation of a greeting, he had nearly said, 'Hi, little Sa.' As Germain Sparo took another two steps forward, Lovira finally regained her composure: "I'll try with the herding spirits." This was a safer approach, one that would not endanger their small exploration team. Kline nodded, held his black cane, and smiled warmly as he turned to the side. A spectral figure immediately materialized before Loviara, standing three to four meters tall. It bore a pair of mountain-goat horns adorned with mysterious patterns, its dark and dull skin exuding an eerie, otherworldly presence—clearly a demon. Unlike the demons克莱恩 had encountered before, this one displayed signs of decay across its body, with yellowish-green pus hanging from its surface, seemingly infused with the power of "falling" or "decline." As克莱恩 casually observed the figure, the demon unfurled its massive wings, resembling bat feathers, igniting the pale blue flames within them with greater intensity and releasing a thick, sulfurous aroma. It then stepped forward, moving slowly toward the iron-black throne and the successive staircases prepared for the giants, using its innate sense of danger to detect any potential disturbances. While Colin Iliad, Kaelen, and other half-gods observed the shadow palace closely, they also examined its details and noticed a large, pale gray-blue door, dimly glowing, depicting a scene of dusk, positioned behind the iron-black throne where Salsir slept. This might very well be the "door" leading to the outside world—this thought passed simultaneously through the minds of Colin Iliad, Deryck, and Loviya, the three silver-city half-gods. At that very moment, the demon's form, halfway through its journey, suddenly halted, enveloped by a swirling mass of silver-white lightning, and shattered into fragments, rapidly fading away. A column of light, wreathed in holy flame, descended spontaneously, completely purifying the demon's soul. Loviya did not show any sorrow at the loss of her charge, merely furrowing her brow, momentarily unable to think of a better way forward. Kaelen glanced to each side, then smiled expansively. "Indeed," he said, "it still comes down to me." As he slowly walked forward, he pulled out a box of matches from his pocket and struck them one by one, casually tossing them around. "I've always been rather timid," he remarked, half-turning to look back as he finished half the box, with a smile. Even Derek Berg found this hard to believe. Under the glow of the crimson flames,克莱恩 continued toward the once-mighty, iron-black throne that might have once belonged to an ancient god. When he reached the spot where the demon's soul had been destroyed, his left hand suddenly tightened. Lowering his head, he saw the human skin gloves of "The Thirsting Hunger" regain their form, with a dramatic crack appearing at the palm—two rows of pale, ethereal teeth now visible within. The seal was now trying to tear into his flesh and consume both his body and spirit. "The Thirsting Hunger" has fallen! "Hmm." Klein exhaled a noticeable sigh, glancing at the "Staff of the Star" he was holding in his right hand to confirm that this otherwise lifeless, zero-tier seal object had not shown any signs of anomaly. He then raised his right hand and inserted the other end of the "Staff of the Star" into the mouth of "The Hunger That Crawls." After a few bites, under the pressure of its nature, "The Hunger That Crawls" settled down once more. Smiling softly, Klein took another step and walked several meters forward. At that moment, cracks began to appear in the shadows covering the walls, pillars, and floor tiles, revealing one after another copper-colored eyes. Before Klein, now being watched by an endless number of eyes, a figure gradually took shape—first appearing as the stern-faced Germain Spalro with black hair and brown eyes, then transforming progressively into a more ordinary, bookish figure with black hair and brown eyes and a refined appearance—finally fading into a hazy silhouette, from which a mist of gray and white seeped out. At that very moment, the figure that seemed to reveal all of Caine's secrets froze. Boom! He burst apart, scattering into countless ethereal fragments that settled on the ground and vanished. Caine raised an eyebrow, chuckled lightly. "An 'All-Knowing' power belonging to the 'Reader's' path?" As soon as he finished speaking, the clusters of golden-brown eyes that had grown from the shadows around him and in the ground all trembled, emitting a faint, ancient-sounding resonance: "The atmosphere of 'The Source Keep'..." "The Source Keep"... Colin Iliad seemed to recall something, growing more certain. Must one possess 'Source Quality' to be able to respond or approach Sasselir? Then, why does the 'Hanged Man'—who already has Loviara, a half-divine devotee of the Silver City—still insist on forcing me into the palace to meet the 'Dark Angel'? Caine had only just managed to suppress the instinctive voice of his virtual persona. Before Colin Iliad could even decide what to say, the numerous copper-colored eyes hidden in the shadows spoke again: "Your fate intersects with that of Ammantine, Leodoro, Adam, Amun, Herabergen, Osecus, Medici, Ulorius—and with Him as well." The names uttered by the copper-colored eyes were familiar to Colin Iliad and Deryck, Lovie. The first was known as the "Goddess of Night," and the rest were seven out of the eight Angel Kings, among whom several were current Sequence-0 True Gods. This revelation left them momentarily stunned, unable to believe that Germán Sparo shared a fated connection with so many beings beyond Sequence-1. With the addition of the previously sleeping "Dark Angel," intersections now extended to the "World" figure and the eight Angel Kings—truly impressive. Deryck silently admired this in his heart. Klein had no mood for teasing his "Interdimensional Interpersonal Studies," and with a clear smile, asked instead: "Him?" Klein assumed that "Him" referred to the "True Creator," since the lingering invasive forces from that entity were still present on his own body. The copper-colored eyes on the shadow curtain remained silent for several seconds, then spoke in a distant, ethereal tone: "Him is another version of me..." Is the "True Creator" indeed the other face of the ancient solar deity—the one born from the god's corpse, filled with resentment and malice, ruling over the fall? Klein was gradually identifying the solemn, dark infant seated within the fissure of the ancient solar god's torso, devouring its intestines, as the embodiment of the "True Creator," and was beginning to confirm that the entity currently speaking to him was the residual spirit of the "Dark Angel" Salsir. He paused, and couldn't help but let a smile lift at the corners of his mouth: "Then, why did you establish the 'Redemption Rose' to assassinate the ancient solar deity?" The information conveyed in this question had long been known and suspected by Colin Iliad and Loviara, yet hearing it confirmed by Germain Spalro brought a wave of melancholy and bewilderment. The shadow drapes draped over the walls, stone pillars, and floor tiles swayed slightly, but the sleeping "Dark Angel" remained undisturbed. One by one, the bronze eyes fixed upon Caine and spoke: "The Sun God was merely my first title. Now you should call me the Sovereign who created all things—the All-Knowing, All-Powerful Deity, or simply, 'God.'" "...It's clear you've been moving steadily toward that direction," Caine finally managed a smile, yet felt a pang of apprehension, for he was now mocking the Heavenly Deputy, the Left Hand of God, the King of Angels among the Kings of Angels, and, most importantly, the very essence of the Divine itself. To prevent the other from having time to be angry, he quickly repeated his earlier question: "So, why betray yourself and establish the Redeeming Rose with the 'Goddesses of Night'—to strike yourself down?" Once again, those golden-copper eyes fell into silence, the shadows draped like curtains across various places gently swaying, never ceasing. After several seconds, the ethereal, faint voice spoke slowly: "The Primordial has awakened within me..." Hearing this response, Caine's pupils dilated instantly, a strange sensation of standing on end, his spine growing cold unexpectedly arose. This answer was close to one of his own speculations, yet even more terrifying. At that moment, the shadows from all around grew denser, more solemn and deeper, as though nurturing some dreadful, unknown, and irresistible peril. Although Colin Iliad, Deric, and Lovira didn't fully grasp the meaning of "the Dark Angel" Salsir, they were still deeply affected by the inherent solemnity, awe, and eerie atmosphere in his words, experiencing a chilling, bone-rattling sensation. "The Primordial has awakened within me..." These words resonated layer upon layer, lingering without settling. PS: First publish, then revise.