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"I do not crave faith. I merely sow hope, and reap hope."
Sol shook his head slightly and offered a glimmer of hope. "If you have a wish, you may also seek my help."
He was not a god who needed evangelism. The power of faith was useless to him.
What he wanted was people's hope—only to awaken the shining Tiga.
"Hope… that truly is something precious."
Acheron accepted the light, letting it melt away in her palm as she fell briefly into a daze.
Within her perception of Nihility, the moment Sol released his aura, he appeared as an enormous source of light. Before this, no powerhouse had ever given her such a sensation—not due to lack of strength, but because of the difference in the nature of their power.
Now, personally experiencing the power of light, her feelings deepened further.
A beam of light pierced the black-and-white world, reawakening the colors it once had. Brilliant and multicolored, sorrowful yet beautiful.
She felt the warmth of the light, as if returning to the past—to a time before her world had been swallowed by Nihility. It was not a rise in temperature, but a resonance of the soul.
Back when she was still human, such warmth had not been rare, nor particularly precious. Only after Nihility slowly devoured her—after her five senses faded and even her emotions gradually slipped away—did she come to truly understand how valuable warmth was.
Whoosh!
That speck of light was erased by Nihility. The world returned to stark black and white, and the warmth vanished with it.
Acheron felt a sense of loss, her gaze becoming slightly more animated than before.
She looked at Sol and said calmly, "From the nature of this power, I believe what you said earlier. You do indeed possess the divinity of a savior."
"I will not interfere with your progress. When you find yourself unable to proceed, I am willing to offer what little strength I have."
She acknowledged the nature of that power—it was the light of hope.
Some say power itself has no good or evil, only how it is used.
But in truth, the nature of power profoundly influences people. Just as the power of Nihility drags one into the abyss, whether willingly or unwillingly.
And the light of hope is, by nature, a seed of goodness.
"When the time comes, I will."
Sol sensed the disappearance of the light and was not surprised.
The light he wielded now was incomplete—its quality was roughly equivalent to the period after emerging from the pyramid and before the final battle with Gatanothor, appearing formidable only because of his limitless energy supply.
Such light was naturally unable to escape Nihility's erosion.
But after hope is elevated, the outcome will be different.
"Mhm."
Acheron nodded, turning as if to leave and continue her journey of returning relics to their rest.
The warmth of light was tempting, but she would ultimately walk the Path of Nihility.
"Are you searching for the cause of the monsters appearing here?"
Looking at Acheron's retreating figure, Sol reminded her, "Penacony was built upon the power of a Stellaron. The problems here are the result of its instability. Once I resolve it, everything will return to normal."
The chaos here was only a surface phenomenon; the monsters were merely the result, not the cause.
If Acheron intended to find the mastermind here, it would be impossible.
"So, the reason for the chaos here is the agitation of the Stellaron."
Acheron paused, realization dawning on her face.
She had heard rumors about the Watchmaker's legacy and assumed the area was sealed off because of its connection to it.
So, the truth was that a real problem had emerged, and that was why it was sealed.
"Then you're not investigating the truth?"
Sol asked, somewhat surprised.
"I am not seeking the cause of the anomaly here."
Acheron hesitated slightly and said with faint confusion, "I am searching for the Watchmaker, to return a relic entrusted to me by his friend."
"In Penacony, traces of him can be found everywhere, yet his personal existence seems nothing more than a legend."
"Thank you for telling me. Since this place has nothing to do with the Watchmaker, I will go elsewhere to continue my search."
If not for Sol's reminder, she likely would have wasted a great deal of time here.
"Oh? So, you don't know the way and are just relying on luck?"
Sol suddenly understood.
He had thought Acheron was investigating the anomaly here, intending to cleanse Penacony of its problems.
"It is not relying on luck."
Acheron shook her head and said firmly, "I know the Watchmaker is in Penacony. As long as I continue searching, I will find him."
"Heh. You plan to keep searching endlessly?"
Seeing how seriously Acheron spoke such folly, Sol couldn't help but smile.
Without Gallagher or guidance from a Memokeeper, finding where the Watchmaker resided—in Dreamflux Reef—was nothing short of a fool's dream.
Even The Family, with their massive local influence, had no way into Dreamflux Reef and could not find a path at all.
Unless Acheron drew her blade and cut through an entire layer of the Dreamscape, she would never reach Dreamflux Reef on her own.
"Yes. I will continue searching. This is not an urgent matter."
Acheron was resolute.
She had nothing that absolutely had to be done.
If there was anything, it would be finding a way to bring an end to the Aeon of Nihility and sever the fate of all things returning to nothingness—but that was far too distant to pursue deliberately.
Thus, she had ample time to fulfill Tiernan's final wish.
Sol looked at Acheron and said with a smile, "After I perform a manifestation, I'll be heading to Dreamflux Reef. Would you like to come along?"
Seeing the confusion in her eyes, he explained, "Dreamflux Reef is the former residence of the Watchmaker, Mikhail."
Acheron froze slightly, then said sincerely, "Thank you. I truly need this."
Her luck was not bad—she had coincidentally encountered Sol, someone who knew the way.
No—rather, Sol had sensed her as an unstable variable and deliberately sought her out.
Heh. In moments like this, Nihility isn't entirely without its uses.
Still, she had one question. "When you say 'manifestation,' what do you mean? Are you going to spread faith?"
"You could understand it that way."
Sol smiled faintly, speaking with implication. "Before the deepest darkness arrives, I must at least display the power of a savior."
"Otherwise, hope would be like a rootless tree—far too fragile."
"I've already identified a hidden hand within The Family's schemes. It just so happens to be suitable for establishing authority."
"Oh, I see."
Acheron nodded and walked to Sol's side. "Then let's go. I won't act recklessly."
Sol, Acheron, and Black Swan departed together.
At that very moment, a crow perched atop a chandelier, watching the place where the three vanished, its gaze inscrutable.
It was an incarnation of Penacony's Dreammaster—certainly not material meant to be casually used for a manifestation.
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