For Sia, the recent events could only be described as a bolt from the blue.
Sia could never have imagined that after reigning as the Pale-White Empress for so long, having unified the Royal Family Faction of the Numinous Episcopate and poised to subdue or eliminate that restless old fool Haiter, she was on the verge of consolidating the entire Numinous Episcopate. If she could one day obtain the Uniqueness of the God of Death and ascend to Sequence 0, becoming the new God of Death was not beyond possibility.
Yet, just when everything seemed to be falling into place, the "God of Death" Suddenly returned and issued an oracle.
Naturally, Sia didn't believe the God of Death had truly returned. To her, this was either Haiter's reckless gambit gone awry... or perhaps succeeding... resulting in the Uniqueness of the God of Death becoming animated, akin to the Hidden Sage. Alternatively, someone had secretly gained control of the Uniqueness and was masquerading as the deity to stir trouble.
Neither scenario boded well for Sia. Judging by the Hidden Sage's behavior, a sentient Uniqueness was bad news for Beyonders of the same pathway, especially for someone like Sia, who possessed a Sequence 1 characteristic. And if someone had indeed mastered the Uniqueness in secret, Sia doubted they would overlook the Sequence 1 characteristic she held... it would surely be seized.
Moreover, since this figure had issued an oracle in the name of the God of Death and established new rules for the deity's followers, it was clear they had designs on seizing control of the Numinous Episcopate.
As a result, Sia had been so consumed with worry that she could barely sleep.
Of course, if Sia chose to be a bystander, to lie low, surrender her authority, and hand over her Sequence 1 characteristic, this so-called God of Death might spare her. But first, that would mean gambling on the mercy of another, placing her fate in their hands. As the Pale-White Empress, Sia had little faith that high-sequence Beyonders of her pathway possessed such a thing as mercy.
Second, Sia was unwilling to simply give up. She had been the Pale-White Empress for years, standing just one step away from Sequence 0. Though that step might elude her for a lifetime, asking her to abandon it so easily was unthinkable.
Third, Sia suspected something was amiss with the "God of Death" issuing the oracle. Why else would they not show themselves to unify the Numinous Episcopate or wield their power directly?
For these reasons, upon learning of the oracle, Sia made a swift decision. She rallied her confidants, branding the oracle a "conspiracy of the Artificial Death faction." while reassuring those in the Royal Family Faction wavering due to the oracle. Secretly, she began investigating the true nature of this supposed God of Death.
Initially, Sia's efforts went smoothly. Having led the Numinous Episcopate for years, she was its de facto leader. Though Haiter's Artificial Death faction resisted stubbornly, Sia secured the loyalty of the Royal Family Faction, and most smaller factions remained skeptical of the oracle, hesitant to defect outright.
But today, Sia was devastated to realize that all her arrangements might have been for naught.
Upon hearing her subordinate's report that many had faced divine punishment, her body swayed slightly. She could already foresee how many would now align with the "God of Death" after this event. Aside from her most loyal confidants, even the core members of the Royal Family Faction would likely waver.
Divine punishment… Sia pursed her lips. She still didn't believe her judgment about the "God of Death" was wrong, but it now seemed that this deity's condition was far better than she had initially assumed.
This was undoubtedly bad news for her.
A shadow fell over Sia's eyes. She quickly thought of something and ordered, "…Compile a list for me, and do it quickly."
Her subordinates, not daring to dawdle, soon delivered a list to her hands.
"This is a list of all the members we've confirmed as having faced divine punishment." Her subordinate reported, head bowed. "However, many members on external missions haven't been accounted for yet due to their distance. Rest assured, I've already sent people to contact them, and we should have a complete list soon."
Sia nodded slightly, not reprimanding her subordinate. She wasn't the type of unreasonable superior.
She lowered her head to review the list, exhaling after finishing. "All those who faced divine punishment were individuals who disobeyed the new rules and had previously committed serious violations against them."
"This even includes one member of the Artificial Death faction…" Sia set the list down, her gaze settling on her subordinate. "Do you understand what this means?"
The subordinate paused before answering, "The returned God of Death is not aligned with the Artificial Death faction."
"That's a conclusion we should have reached long ago." Sia said, shaking her head, her expression icy. "It means this God of Death prioritizes the new rules above all else."
"…Perhaps they're just establishing their authority?" Her subordinate suggested, a touch bolder as one of Sia's trusted allies.
"If they were merely establishing authority, there'd be no need for distinctions... just kill them all." Sia replied. "But the severity of each punishment varies, corresponding to their crimes." She paused, a rare hint of confusion in her eyes. "I initially thought these so-called new rules were just a ploy to assert their presence and control the Numinous Episcopate… but they actually care about these rules?"
Sia was genuinely perplexed. As a descendant of the God of Death and the Pale-White Empress of the Numinous Episcopate, she had been steeped in the ways of the Balam Empire from childhood, with a disregard for life etched into her very being. This made the new rules all the more incomprehensible to her.
"But this at least rules out one possibility…" Sia shook her head, suppressing her doubts and dismissing her earlier theory that the "God of Death" was a sentient Uniqueness.
Given the characteristics of the Death pathway, a sentient Uniqueness would only be colder, more ruthless.
"So who is it… the Evernight Goddess or The God of Combat?" Sia mused silently, only to be enveloped by new doubts.
Her thoughts turned to Haiter. She knew how fiercely loyal Haiter was to the God of Death. Even his Artificial Death plan was ultimately aimed at reviving the deity. Such a person might not be able to stop figures like the Evernight Goddess or the God of Combat from seizing the Uniqueness, but he would never aid them in controlling the Numinous Episcopate.
Yet, judging by Haiter's current actions, he was clearly intent on helping this new God of Death take command of the Numinous Episcopate.
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