The 'core' of Amphoreus is inaccessible to anyone but one… no, two people.
One was the future Nameless who goes by the name March 7th.
The other was the administrator of Amphoreus, Lygus, also known as Nous' creator, Zandar One Kuwubara.
After all, the core of Amphoreus is the tomb of the thirteenth titan, the "head" who got blown off after Zandar detonated a Stellaron inside the Scepter.
To those unfamiliar with her…
She is the Elysia of this world.
Fortunately, everything I went through bore fruit.
I scanned the vast dark 'palace'. A huge gate presented itself to me. Its keyhole bore a rectangular shape, one similar to a book's.
Examining my current state, I confirmed I have lost my identity as a 'Memetic Entity'. The transparent look of my entire body is a manifestation of the divine mind.
[System failure.]
[System failure.]
[The ratio between Remembrance Path Energy and Dao of Creation has been broken. Recalibrating…]
A series of alerts made me frown.
This entire system is made from the Remembrance Path and the Dao of Creation. These two things constituted its 'body'. As for its computing power, it all relied on the godly thinking speed of my divine mind.
The Divine Transformation Realm can process everything at the range of a star system instantly. I am a humanoid quantum computer that surpassed most of the entities of this world.
The entire blame lies on me. Right before I completely left Amphoreus, I created twelve items with my Dao of Creation. Call it my willfulness, but I could not bear to see Amphoreus' story play out as it was.
In computer terms, I redirected the entire CPU's power to another application. By taking away the power dedicated to the system, it met with error messages.
My thoughts raced along with the collapsing intangible system. The debugging process began, cutting off processes that are deemed as unnecessary for my current situation.
I stood still in front of the gate for a long time.
I snapped out of it once I saw the system stabilize. Stopping it now will halt my analysis of the Remembrance Path, which is not beneficial to me.
Most importantly, I need it to figure things out in this place.
Freely controlling the system's operation, I designated it to analyze this entire place. Although its prompts feel like talking to myself, I got used to it.
[Detected remnants of Remembrance's authority. Estimated access: 80%.]
80%..!
The system's measurement for 'authority' is based on Blade Mantra's Formlessness. 30% and above is within the scope of Emanators. 80% makes them the most favored Emanator of the said Aeon.
Formlessness' limits are based on the level of one's Tao Heart.
With a seventh-level one, they can reach up to 60%.
With an eighth-level one, they can reach up to 100%.
100% is the complete control of a specific Path. It is the level of Aeons.
The most shocking thing here was...
It's already integrated to my stigma space.
The Formlessness realm can only be reached by touching upon the "Past" and "Future" temporal dimensions. Clearing up the fog made by Erudition and Remembrance is a necessity... or so we thought.
The 30% progress I gained over the past decade had long attached itself to my stigma space. The requirement to interact with the 'Past' and 'Future' are not needed, at least in my case.
I am still finding out why this happened, but for now, I placed my focus on integrating more of Remembrance's authority.
[Analyzing the remnants' essence, usage of Path Energy, utilization of Path Authority…]
Even in a detached state, my mind is instantly filled with ways to utilize the Remembrance Path. At the same time, my control over this authority soared.
Converted to cultivation terms, I gained "insights" and is about to enter a state of epiphany.
I sat cross-legged on the cold ground as my consciousness dwindled into a state of focused learning…
*****
Year 4031.
Two hundred years have passed since the abdication of the Imperator. Many had forgotten her name as Aglaea's exploits replaced her fame.
From the chaotic times brought by the expedition against Phagousa, Okhema returned to a period of peace.
Unfortunately, fate did not let them rest completely.
The Black Tide's assault became more and more unbearable. While the Imperator succeeded on Phagousa's assault, the Daythunder Knight Seliose failed in her expedition, cutting off all the Sky Temple's contacts to the ground. A week after that, Amphoreus fell into eternal nighttime. This was recorded later on as the "Second Instance of Flame-Chase".
Terravox's journey was the exact opposite. The Dromas King, most beloved by Georios, managed to slay the Earth Titan. Most called it a betrayal, but Terravox himself did not deny it.
Upon returning the Coreflame and completing his divine trial, he disappeared from the face of the earth, a seemingly growing trend amongst this cycle's Demigods.
Then came Aglaea's ascension as the Romance Demigod a hundred years ago. It further cemented her status as Okhema's wise city lord.
Now, the world greeted its sixth Demigod who bore the Coreflame of Zagreus, the Trickery Titan.
"Strange. Really strange…"
"What is it, Boss?"
Atop Okhema's roof, a cat and a bubbly purple entity could be seen. The former's white tail swayed back and forth while reading a 'map'. The latter, a "purple ghost", appeared to appease his Boss.
"My sense of smell never failed me. I smelled of treasure…"
As if confirming her words, Cifera sniffed on Okhema's city breeze.
"...but I cannot seem to pinpoint where it was."
"A treasure? Are you sure about it, Boss? I can't sense it at all… except from the Romance Demigod's huge stash of gold…"
The mention of Aglaea's name made Cifera… Cipher's gaze sharper.
"We are not touching that."
"O-okay!"
She looked around the buildings beneath her. Okhema's hustle and bustle remained the same as she could remember.
Cipher left this city decades ago, yet it does not seem to have changed at all.
'I finally have a moment to shine. I am sure she will catch on…'
Originating from the city of a hundred thieves, she grew from a street pickpocket to the Demigod of Trickery.
It hasn't been long since she 'escaped' the City of Dolos and arrived in the Holy City, Okhema. Cipher did not know what to do at that time. Being lost after such a huge act (i.e., becoming a Demigod) is inevitable.
That was until she met Aglaea.
The Romance Demigod bore the famed elegance and beauty that traveled thousands of miles. Her kindness prompted her to lend a hand to the lost cat. It was the beginning of the relationship between the two.
Aglaea knew of Cipher's 'kindness' hidden underneath her facade. She longed to steal from the corpulent and corrupt and redistribute it to the poor—the Amphoreus' equivalent of Robin Hood.
Aglaea tacitly agreed to it. Her hundreds of years of fatigue did not prevent her from loathing evil people.
Cipher 'pocketed' things and sold them to Aglaea. Once Cipher has her fill, she will hand out the rest. Such was her everyday duty.
Just when things are proceeding as normal, Cipher happened upon a terrifying 'message':
The Dawn Device, one responsible for Okhema's eternal daytime and the ward against the Black Tide, will only last for three hundred years.
In the end, Cipher used her Demigod power to weave a lie, that Okhema's Dawn Device will last forever.
She feared that Aglaea, the person she was the closest to, would uncover her lies, making it ineffective, hence she left Okhema.
Only recently had she come back.
"Where was it?"
Tap.
The sound of a walking staff hitting a roof tile resounded. Cipher jumped high, resembling that of a startled cat.
"Who?!"
"The Demigod of Trickery… I may have qualified for it."