An unusual door-opening process... a meagre tomb... an empty coffin... a door between illusion and reality...
The prophesied scenes quickly unfolded before Ebner's eyes. He pondered seriously for several minutes, combining what he had seen, then softly recited, "The Fool that does not belong to this era." After receiving a response, he took out the God Casket and handed it to Fors, saying, "This door—for now, only you can open it."
Through the prophecy, he had learned that there were three conditions to open this door: Mr. Door's attention, the aura of the gray fog, and the God Casket.
No wonder Fors had been drawn to this dreamlike ruin ever since arriving in Boney City… she really was the most fitting candidate.
"Only me?" Fors instinctively accepted the God Casket, then hesitated before asking, "Is it dangerous? And after the door is opened, is there a chance something terrifying might come out from behind it?"
In that moment, she was filled with anxiety and almost wanted to beg Ebner to take her and leave, to stop trying to open this clearly unusual door.
—At the Tarot Club, after hearing Little Sun recount so many terrifying tales of ruins and relics, she couldn't help overthinking when facing similar scenes—frightening herself in the process.
But she also felt her fate had somehow become entangled with Emperor Roselle's plans. If she didn't finish what had been started, worse things might happen later… and she might not have Ebner at her side next time.
Though it was only a feeling, Fors didn't dare act rashly. She could only look to Ebner, hoping he would offer her some courage.
"In what I foresaw, there was no danger." Ebner paused for a moment, then added, "And I'll be right beside you the whole time."
Hearing that, Fors finally relaxed a little. She looked at the stone platform, nearly a meter high, then at the kneeling knight statue still towering over two meters tall. She measured herself and couldn't help but ask, "How do I get it up there?"
"I said, I'll be by your side." As he spoke, Ebner stepped forward, wrapped an arm around her waist, and simulated a flying ability. A "whirlwind" lifted them both upward toward the knight statue's raised hands.
Fors tried to appear composed, but her shifting gaze revealed her thoughts racing inside. No one knew what she was truly thinking.
"Place the God Casket." When Ebner's voice sounded beside her ear, Fors snapped out of it, took a deep breath, and carefully placed the casket into the knight's upraised hands.
Immediately, with a thunderous rumble, the symbols and patterns engraved on the bronze door blazed with dazzling light and condensed into a ray of grey, red, and black that shot straight into the God Casket—while Fors was still holding it.
In that moment, Fors felt as if her soul had been wrenched from her body. She lost consciousness and collapsed, still clutching the casket, into Ebner's arms. The bronze door, having fired the beam, dimmed again and slowly creaked open.
Ebner wasn't alarmed by her condition—he had already foreseen it in his prophecy. He knew she would awaken shortly. To ensure her safety, he had also prayed to The Fool in advance, asking Klein to provide protection, in case Old Roselle had left behind anything strange that might harm her.
—According to the prophecy, Fors was now seeing Roselle's image in her subconscious, listening to his final message.
As for what Old Roselle said, that was beyond prophecy's reach. But Ebner didn't mind—Fors would tell him once she awoke.
As Ebner gently descended with Fors in his arms, Captain Diful couldn't help asking with concern, "Mr. Ebner, is your lady all right?"
Lady? Ebner's expression was slightly odd, but he didn't correct him. He nodded and said, "It's not serious. She should wake up soon."
While walking into the door with Fors in his arms, he said to the three official Beyonders, "Come on, let's see what lies beyond the door."
Having reached this point, the three naturally had no objections. They even volunteered to take the lead.
Ebner let them go ahead. After all, according to the prophecy, there was no danger behind the door. Roselle had probably moved this gate here because it had sealed the Chaos Sea for many years and had been tainted by it, carrying its aura. It could thus form a mystical resonance with the God Casket and serve as a condition checker.
Heh, if a door tainted by the Chaos Sea can resonate with the God Casket... then what exactly is the God Casket made of...?
Has the Mirror Dog finally found its rival? As Ebner entertained wild guesses, the group entered the chamber beyond the door.
It was about half the size of a football field, over ten meters high… but despite its size, the place felt eerily empty.
There were no imagined monsters. No mountains of treasure or burial goods. No arcane or terrifying rituals…
There was only a massive, lidless coffin and a three-meter-wide, smooth stone tablet.
This wasn't surprising. The true setup of the tomb had clearly been in the bronze door outside. Everything else had already been destroyed in the Eternal Blazing Sun's attack, leaving nothing of value within.
However, what made Ebner's mouth twitch was the line of Roselle text carved on the stone tablet:
"Surprised? You really thought Grandpa would bury treasures in his own tomb and wait for you to steal them? No chance!"
That was unmistakably Old Roselle's style. Whether he was mocking Mr. Fool or mocking me… who knows?
Heh, even the tomb gate was stolen from someone else. What am I supposed to expect?
Ebner muttered to himself, then followed the prophecy's guidance and pressed a finger lightly on the word "Door."
Immediately, the text vanished. The smooth surface rippled like water and reflected a scene from the outside world.
Ebner reached toward the rippling surface and saw his fingers sink into it, little by little. It felt exactly like entering the "Door of Illusion and Reality" in the Dream Labyrinth Tower.
"This should be the exit... You can try it." Ebner turned and smiled at the three official Beyonders.
"You're letting us leave too?" Dorne, the Solar High Priest, looked emotional and immediately added solemnly, "Don't worry, I'll swear to the gods—I'll never speak a word of what I saw here about you and your lady."
Hearing him, Madam Dacy also reacted and began making a similar oath.
Ebner smiled and shook his head. "That's not necessary. I'm a Blessed of the Earth Mother. Even if you talk, the Church will just ask me to write a report."
"You're a deity's Blessed... No wonder your strength is so overwhelming." Dorne and Dacy both looked enlightened, then walked eagerly to the stone tablet and leapt into it.
To their disappointment, they didn't enter the Door of Illusion and Reality. Instead, they passed straight through and landed behind the stone tablet...
"What... what's going on?" Dacy and Dorne turned pale, their faces whiter than the mud covering them. In disbelief, they passed through the stone tablet several more times—but still couldn't enter.
Captain Diful, who had remained silent, sighed. "We've been in this ruin too long. We've survived only by relying on the mushrooms and water here. We've already become part of the ruin... I was hoping for a miracle... but it seems we'll never leave."
"What?!" Dacy collapsed to the ground. Her aura became disordered, and if not for Dorne activating the Solar Halo in time to bolster her spirit, she might have completely broken down.
"You knew all along?" Dorne asked in a low voice after helping Dacy up.
"I only suspected it... but after seeing Mr. Ebner and his lady, I noticed the difference between them and us..." Diful said gloomily. "I don't even know if coming in here was right or wrong... We found hope, only to fall back into despair... sigh."
"..." Dorne had nothing to say—he could only let out a heavy sigh.
Just as the mood sank into sorrow, Ebner suddenly spoke. "Actually, I do have a way...
"Well, it might not bring you back to reality, but it can get you out of this ruin."
Even Madam Dacy, who had lost all hope, looked up. "What way?"
Ebner calmly took out a card, lifted its seal, and produced a leather-bound parchment book. On its dark brown cover was a line of ancient Fusac:
Groselle's Travels
"This book contains another world. It's not reality, but there's food, water, and it's far better than this place… and in the future, there may be a chance for you to return to the real world from there.
"If you trust me, drip a drop of blood onto the cover."
Ebner briefly explained the environment inside Groselle's Travels, then waited for their response.
According to his prophecy, once he and Fors left, this ruin would likely collapse completely, and the three official Beyonders would die.
Since he had a way to save them, he didn't hesitate to offer the opportunity—so long as they trusted him.
The three exchanged glances. Madam Dacy was the first to speak. "Mr. Ebner, I trust you! After all, with your strength, if you meant us harm, you wouldn't need to go through all this."
With that, she pricked her finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the cover. She vanished instantly.
Looks like Groselle's Travels has more authority than this ruin—it's at a higher level than Roselle's mystic tomb.
While musing, Ebner turned to the remaining two members of Purification Light.
They bowed to him, then dripped their blood onto the book and disappeared as well.
Opening Groselle's Travels, Ebner saw that the "story" had advanced. Groselle's dragon-slaying party had gained three new members.
In the original, the story only ended after Edwina, Danitz, Anderson, and Klein joined... so that means one more is still needed?
No... maybe not just one. After all, the final battle in the original began right after the ascetic uttered the name of the Angel of Fate—it was clearly influenced…
After pondering for nearly two minutes, Fors slowly regained consciousness. She was about to tell Ebner what she had experienced, but he shook his head and said, "Let's talk after we get back."
Without another word, he stepped into the "door" on the stone tablet's surface with Fors in his arms.
As their figures vanished, the entire ruin began to quake violently. Space fractured and shattered entirely.
At the same time, a rotting root atop Mount Kalarr melted completely, turning into a pool of pitch-black filth.
...
In the large bed of a hotel room in Boney City, Fors opened her eyes but didn't see Ebner. While she was still confused, she suddenly heard heavy breathing from beneath her and quickly sat up...
(End of Chapter)