Thousands of Amons each performed the act of "theft." Given their numbers, unless they were exceptionally unlucky, several would surely succeed. Moreover, the "Fool's" potion was now unclaimed, making its theft a straightforward matter. As they carried out the act of "theft," the Amons also lifted certain seals upon themselves, allowing the exceptional traits of the "Apprentices" and "Theft Specialists" to manifest and combine synergistically—an effect highly effective in enhancing the success rate of their "theft" endeavors. Yet, ultimately, all the Amons failed. For a new rule had appeared in the "Trenzosth Silver Book": "No acts of theft are permitted here!" Previously, to counter the resurgence of the "Mysterious Sovereign," the Amun weakened all the seals here, enabling the "Trenzost Bronze Book" to escape its "deception" and establish, within the recurring cycle, a limited set of effective rules valid over short periods. Now, this has had a reverse effect upon them. Seizing this opportunity, the ethereal imprint on Caine's brow grew increasingly prominent. Thin gray-white mist wove together around him, forming a delicate "cocoon." With full activation of his "Source Citadel," augmented by his exceptional "Mysterious Servant" trait, he generated an exceptionally powerful aggregative effect on the "Fool's" potion. The formless, deep-black liquid, like a wild beast starved for long, surged forth and immediately enveloped Caine. It stretched and transformed continuously, resembling translucent human skin, fully enclosing him. Klein's face stood out against the liquid, his features at times sharp and clear, at others blurred, distorted, or entirely blank. Within the Land of Abandonment, beneath the immense, ancient light of the sun god, the surface of the sea—encompassing all colors and all possible illusions—rapidly took form with a passage written in the oldest known language: "Antigonus's efforts to ascend to the rank of 'The Fool' ultimately failed." The entity that once ruled the entire planet chose not to use the name Klein Moretti because the latter now bore the identity and fate of Antigonus. If the narrative were centered on Klein Moretti, he could entirely disregard it: What connection did Klein Moretti's failure to ascend have to Antigonus becoming 'The Fool'? And when the subject becomes Antigonus, this sentence—seeming like a prophecy, a carefully orchestrated plan, or a decision made before the reasons are even stated—can make the situation profoundly serious: If Cleon does not relinquish Antigonus' identity and fate, he will be strictly bound by this very statement; if he does relinquish it, then the extraordinary traits from Sequence 9 through Sequence 1 will no longer truly belong to him, having remained undigested—traits once mastered by Antigonus, now entirely disconnected from Cleon, who has merely forced himself to absorb them. In such a scenario, even without any other factors, the undigested extraordinary traits alone would likely cause Cleon to lose control immediately. And with his mind thus unsteady, administering the "The Fool" potion to complete the ascension ritual would undoubtedly prove entirely unsuccessful. When the Ancient Sun God inscribed these words, the deities of the Stellar Realm—the "Eternal Radiant Sun," the "Lord of Storms," and the "God of Knowledge and Wisdom"—all sensed it and launched their most vigorous counterattacks, striving to disrupt the other's actions. Yet, even after channeling the majority of His energy to contain these three true gods, despite appearing notably strained, the Ancient Sun God swiftly completed the inscription. However, His vast, radiant form now seemed significantly dimmed, as though it could not sustain itself much longer. Within the floating ancient palaces of the Stellar Realm, the battle between the "Mother Goddess of the Earth" and the "God of Steam and Machinery" against the "Primordial Witch" and the "Hidden Sage" grew more intense. Nevertheless, the former two still managed to muster sufficient strength to exert influence upon Amun's emanation, thereby preventing them from disrupting Kline's ascension ritual. The Amon were forced to "appear" constantly throughout, yet some still transformed into plants, bloomed, bore fruit, and returned to the earth; others collapsed into words, inscribed into the fictional books. Beyond these, a significant portion of them were reinforcing the seals, restricting the "Trenzost Yellow Copper Book," so that its rules either failed entirely or only took effect momentarily. Under these three converging influences, even with their numbers, they seemed insufficient. Nevertheless, a small fraction among them seized the opportunity, projecting the image of Caine onto single-crystal spectacles and similar circular symbols. The very next instant, those spectacles and symbols radiated pure light. This was not a theft—it was a return. The Amon chose, at this moment, to return to Caine what they had previously "stolen" from him. It was Caine's very intention to commit suicide. When Kline was first captured by Amun in the realm of divine abandonment, he repeatedly tried to commit suicide but failed—his intentions being "stolen" by Amun. At this crucial moment of his promotion, if he now conceived the thought of suicide, the outcome would be unimaginable! At this very instant, Kline, tightly enveloped by the "Fool" magic potion, found his thoughts becoming disordered and scattered, sensing an intense coldness spreading across his body, as a thick, viscous liquid seeped in gradually. Then, for the first time, he formed the resolve to commit suicide, to abandon his course. This was a change completely unforeseen by Kline—he had long forgotten that Amun had previously "stolen" his intentions to die, and he had never imagined that Amun not only preserved them but treated them with careful attention. Previously, at other times, though this thought was strong, Caine had been able to rely on his self-control to counteract it, suppressing the idea forcefully and waiting for it to fade away, just as he would with other unwelcome thoughts. But now, immersed in the promotion ceremony and affected by the potion, his mental stability had been compromised, making it impossible for him to effectively resist the urge to commit suicide. The Amons always have various unusual yet highly effective methods. Fortunately, Caine was no longer just Caine—he was also Antigonus. What connection did Caine's desire to commit suicide have with Antigonus? Drawing upon this identity, Caine did not immediately give up his life. He summoned the spiritual imprint of Antigonus within himself, blending it with the suicidal thoughts and managing to suppress them temporarily. Under this balance, Caine's mind and body were further eroded by the "Fool" potion. His thoughts, much like when he had ascended to the rank of "Mysterious Servant," became completely dispersed. The difference lay in that this time, instead of integrating into the spiritual realm, he extended outward, like a gas, enveloping the entire planet, the entire spiritual realm, and parts of the stellar realms. At this moment, Caine felt himself present within the bodies of different believers, within every human being, within various animals, and within all living things. All things possessed divinity. Simultaneously, he was scattered throughout the historical mist, spread across the flowing passage of time, dispersed within the tranquil, branching river of ever-shifting ripples. One, yet also countless. This divine-level experience further diminished Caine's thoughts, leaving only the detached, impartial gaze of a watcher. Even that detachment was gradually dissolving. In no time at all, Caine would completely lose himself, being dominated by the various psychic imprints within the "Fool" potion, transforming into a true monster. This fate paralleled that of Antigonus, whose once-unstable madness would now accelerate. At this very moment, he sensed a subtle dissonance—an unnatural irregularity—within the historical haze. A few fragments of light within the mist were distorting, unable to align, seemingly contradicting each other in essence. These fragments were gradually separating, each taking on a distinct narrative path, thus restoring the initial distortion. Caine's spirit, which had been diffused throughout all things, briefly "popped out" due to this dissonance, regaining a fragment of self-awareness. Centered on this renewed self-awareness, he swiftly gathered his dispersed mental energies and took charge of the integration process of the "Fool" potion into his body. At this moment, Antigonus's fate—once destined for chaos and madness—was prematurely fulfilled according to the ancient Sun God's "prophecy," and Klein's body once again collapsed, unable to sustain the "Fool" elixir. With no hesitation, and no time for hesitation, Klein immediately reversed part of the "stolen" effects, returning Antigonus's identity, destiny, and self-awareness to their original owner. As a result, Antigonus, who had been seated on the massive stone throne and slowly opening his eyes, bewildered and disoriented, gradually regained clarity. He did not immediately succumb to chaos, because the primary cause of his unraveling had been the substantial revival of the "Mysterious Sovereign's" will. Now, however, the unique essence and most of the extraordinary traits that once carried that will had been lost within him. Thus, Antigonus could now draw upon his own will to resist the tide of madness and strive to reclaim his course. The ancient Sun God's "prophecy" thus came true: Antigonus indeed failed to ascend to the Sequence 0 rank of "Fool." And once Klein lost his identity, the exceptional traits of the "Prophet" path from Sequence 9 to Sequence 1 within him became undigested, pushing him right to the brink of chaos. The "Fool" potion, which had been enveloping his body like a cloak, now fully permeated. The will of "Fu Sheng Xuan Huang Tian Zun" stirred once again! "Give up... "Hand over everything to me... "This time, I will no longer accommodate any other source essence. "I will neither aid the beings you wish to protect nor harm them—this is not out of loyalty, but because they are too frail, simply not worthy of my attention. "This place shall become a sanctuary for the Outer Gods... "... "Strange, yet familiar whispers echoed within Klein's mind, stirring thoughts of surrender. And the suicidal thoughts previously suppressed by Antigonus's psychic imprint, now unbalanced by the loss of that equilibrium, rose once more to the surface. The consequences of the promotion failure are now unfolding. At this moment, the "Goddess of Night," who had previously been unable to strike the great sword of twilight, suddenly relinquishes her control over Amun's true form. Amun's true form emerges, and the duplicates wait for the failure of Kline's ritual. Once again, the Goddess drags her elaborate, sword covered in warm orange light, this time aiming directly at Kline. In an instant, Kline's mind flashes with a sudden resolve to commit suicide, and he makes no attempt to resist. With a sharp *pffft*, the symbolic sword of twilight strikes him, cleaving him into a pool of decaying, withered "rotten flesh," from which extraordinary properties begin to seep out. Kline dies—before Amun takes any further measures, before the ritual fails and before his control completely collapses—killed by the Goddess of Night. The very next moment, the "Goddess of Night" placed the golden bird-shaped ornament upon her head. Her form became ethereal and expanded, enveloping the entire ancient palace, erasing the true forms of Amen, his duplicates, the "Mother Earth," the "Primordial Witch," the "God of Steam and Machinery," the "Hidden Sage," and Antigonus—each of them instantly reduced to mere sketches, as if wiped away by a rubber eraser. "Seclusion!" It seemed the ancient Sun God now understood what the "Goddess of Night" intended. Yet, despite having already made two prophecies, He could not write a third. The three true gods of the "Master of Storms" continued their outbursts, firmly holding Him in place. The "Lamp Deity," concerned about being disturbed, promptly used the "Trenzost Bronze Book" to add a rule: "It is suitable for the return of extraordinary traits." Instantly, Caine returned to the state he was in when he had consumed the "Fool" potion. Yet unlike before, when he had originally possessed the sequence 9 to sequence 1 extraordinary traits belonging to Antigonus—traits that had not yet been fully absorbed—now, the very first traits to return were those once belonging to him, completely absorbed and now re-emerging. As a result, he now had a true foundation—a solid core capable of housing the uniqueness and residual traits of the "Fool." —Caine was now exactly like himself when he first reached the summit of the Honaquis Mountain range: a self who had fully absorbed the "Mysterious Servant" potion and was now ready to attempt promotion to sequence 0, the "Fool." Through his resurrection following death, Caine had completely reversed his condition! This inspiration came from the resurrection of Roscel, though the entire process still differed from the revival of the "Black Emperor." Klein had originally planned for the "Lamp God" to be the one who would perish, only to find that the "Night Goddess," who had not been previously communicated with, acted with remarkable synchronicity. In an instant, his body split, dissolving into a thin gray mist and a deep black liquid. The mist and liquid merged, forming dense, flesh-like worms that wove together into a semi-transparent, dark cloak. Beneath the cloak, there was no physical form—only profound darkness. This transformation lasted only a brief moment, less than two seconds, and the Night Goddess's ability to seamlessly conceal so many deities clearly could not be sustained for long. Immediately afterward, a swiftly moving luminous "gate" appeared on the surface of the hidden world. This "gate" burst open, and the true form of Amen—wearing a pointed soft hat and a classical black robe—emerged. At the same time, He saw a phantom mask with featureless facial contours emerging beneath the translucent, deep-colored cloak. As this mask instantly took on the blended features of Klein, merging with the essence of Gérard Spaló, the minds of the Amons instantly became disoriented, as though their intelligence had been abruptly reduced. Thus, the "Fool" was born.