Zaratul walked slowly through the bustling streets of Florence, his tattered yellow robe draping over his body.
Strangely, despite his eerie appearance, no one seemed to notice him. The crowds moved around him as if he didn't exist.
Suddenly, his figure shattered like an illusion, disappearing from the lively street.
With a single step, Zaratul seemed to cross space itself. Thick gray fog surged like a tide, swallowing the surroundings. The sky was dark and lightless, and nothing could be seen in any direction—it was an eerie void.
"Hm? This feeling… is this a Nibelungen?"
Zaratul was slightly surprised. This place felt very similar to the Nibelungen realm created by the Dragon King's alchemy.
But when he used "Spirit Vision" to observe, he noticed something different. While this space had the same core structure as a Nibelungen, it wasn't purely alchemy.
It was a fusion of alchemy and dreams—a creation woven from both authorities, something that existed between reality and illusion.
"Interesting… truly interesting."
Zaratul stroked his beard and smiled. "Combining two powers like this… quite the ingenious idea."
After his brief moment of admiration, he continued deeper into the gray fog.
This path wasn't as simple as it seemed. The dense mist surrounding him wasn't just for show.
With his Spirit Vision activated, Zaratul could sense the hidden "guidance" and "hypnosis" lurking within the fog.
Without the right countermeasures, the longer one stayed inside, the deeper their mind would be eroded.
In the end, they would become a puppet controlled by the fog, losing all reason and turning into a wandering soul with no will of their own.
Soon, the sound of crashing waves reached his ears. Looking up, he saw a deep and eerie ribbon-like structure hanging in the gray sky—like a bridge stretching across the entire space.
"This is… the Sea of Collective Subconscious?" Zaratul was once again shocked.
He actually projected the vast sea of collective subconsciousness into this space… Truly a masterpiece.
At this moment, the ocean formed by the subconscious of all living beings flowed like a dazzling galaxy across the gray sky.
The stars reflected in the spiritual sky shimmered like those in the real world, adorning the deep and dark subconscious sea with an otherworldly brilliance.
Suppressing the shock in his heart, "Zaratul" let out a deep breath and continued forward into the depths of the gray fog.
Before long, he finally stepped out of the fog—only to be stunned by the sight before him. Even he couldn't help but stop in his tracks.
A vast, desolate, and perilous mountain range pierced through the clouds!
Towering, black peaks, rising into the sky, stood abruptly on the icy land. The jagged ridges, like rows of menacing fangs, exuded an ancient and fearsome aura, as if they were walls erected at the world's edge.
For a moment, Zaratul remained in awe. Then, gazing at the breathtaking black mountains, he couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"Forged from bronze and fire… truly remarkable."
Yes. This rugged and bizarre mountain range was entirely cast from bronze—an unparalleled marvel of the world.
Even the true King of Bronze and Fire himself might not have been able to create such a grand and extraordinary structure!
Eagerly, Zaratul moved toward the mountains.
When he reached the foot of the peaks, he saw a man dressed in a pure white clerical robe, with short golden hair, holding a black leather-bound scripture. It was as if he had been waiting there for a long time.
"Am I late, Adam?" Zaratul asked with a smile.
"No. You came at the perfect time."
Adam's expression remained gentle and composed. "Come with me. He has been waiting for a long time."
"Alright."
Zaratul nodded with a smile.
Adam raised his hand, and the power of dreams enveloped them both, causing their figures to gradually fade and blur.
In an instant, they arrived at the mountaintop.
At the highest peak of the black mountain range stood a grand and magnificent temple.
Looking up, one could see the subconscious galaxy spanning the entire sky, cascading down like a radiant aurora. The temple, bathed in its brilliance, exuded an unparalleled majesty.
The raging blizzard and shards of ice, illuminated by the spiritual light, resembled countless stars orbiting in the heavens.
Zaratul followed Adam and stepped into the temple together.
"Welcome back. You've worked hard."
Uchiha Sōgetsu sat on a towering bronze chair, looking down at the two who had just entered. He gave them a faint smile.
Ever since he advanced to Sequence 3, he had rarely left the temple. Most matters were now handled by Adam and Zaratul.
But whether it was Zaratul or Adam, both were beings he had created using his Dream Weaver authority, blending the power of weaving dreams.
They were directly separated from himself—while they had independent thoughts, they would never betray him. Even if they died, it wouldn't affect the original body.
That was the nature of the Spectator pathway. Compared to the infamous "Three Pathways of Survival," they were just as difficult to deal with.
Anything you could see was rarely the true body. Most of the time, they were merely fabricated personas—disposable, even if destroyed.
Zaratul stroked his beard and shook his head with a smile. "It wasn't hard, just a few extra trips."
"Report the results."
Uchiha Sōgetsu lightly tapped the table and spoke.
"Things with Pompeii are nearly settled," Zaratul said. "Now, we just wait for the three factions to converge and observe the outcome."
"What's your plan for Pompeii?" Adam asked seriously. "He's at Sequence 5 now, but if he tries to advance to Sequence 4, the chances of him going mad are extremely high. Even with our help, controlling his insanity would be difficult. The gap between a demigod and a human is vast—you should be well aware of that."
Uchiha Sōgetsu turned to Zaratul. "What do you think?"
"I believe Sequence 4 is already Pompeii's limit." Zaratul pondered for a moment before answering. "Even if we give him more time, it will be difficult for him to completely digest the potion and stabilize his state."
"I think we should postpone the advancement ritual."
Adam frowned slightly, clearly not in agreement. "Pompeii is highly compatible with the 'Tyrant' pathway. If we keep him, he could eventually produce a Sequence 1 trait. Acting too soon would be a waste."
"The problem is, it takes too long."
Zaratul shook his head and turned to Adam. "Waiting for Pompeii to reach Sequence 1 would require too much cost and too much time."
"So, it's decided?"
Adam sighed, then looked toward the person sitting at the head of the table and said, "But… a mere Sequence 4 characteristic? I don't think it's necessary to go through all this effort just for that."
"Heh, I wouldn't say it's a complete waste."
Zaratul shook his head and chuckled. "With a Sequence 4 characteristic in our possession, all we need is the right person. That would be enough for us to create a Demigod next time. By then, we won't have to worry about losing control—we can push them straight to Sequence 1 in one go."
"Then let's do it."
In the end, Uchiha Sougetsu made the final decision. His golden eyes carried an air of authority as he said, "But compared to Sequence 4, there's something else I care about more."
Hearing this, Adam and Zaratul turned their attention to him, waiting for his next words.
"The Staff of the Stars fell into slumber when it arrived in this world."
Uchiha Sougetsu paused for a moment, then his golden eyes rippled faintly as he spoke in a deep voice: "But just in the past two days, the 'Staff of the Stars' has awakened. That means… we can finally go back."
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