His words were like cold surgical scalpels, dissecting the world's warm facade:
"The process cycle known as the 'Hero's Journey' has continued to this day. Its ultimate purpose is neither to shape some 'new world,' nor to create any perfect hero or deity you might imagine—"
His projected gaze seemed to fall upon Phainon and Cyrene, sentencing the meaning of their existence, word by word:
"Everything you have demonstrated here—the so-called resilience, tenacity, wisdom, selflessness, love... all the qualities that made you believe you were noble— are merely... a 'deep learning' session offered to the 'Black Tide'! The highest-grade nourishment to feed its growth!"
"This 'result' you speak of..." Phainon's voice trembled with extreme anger. He tightened his grip on the Dawnmaker in his hand, its blade pointing directly at Lygus's projection.
"...is this ravaged world filled with despair and death? Is the ultimate outcome of our desperate struggle, returning the twelve Coreflames, re-forging heaven and earth..."
His eyes filled with incredulous grief and fury. "...to become a sacrificial offering to that monster at the world's end?!"
"Such precise comprehension! Correct!" Lygus praised as if addressing an excellent student. "The Golden Descendants and the Titans are merely renewable accessories in this grand experiment."
"Throughout your journey, you have long known this world's cycle is one of constant destruction. You have witnessed with your own eyes how the Black Tide is born, how it learns, how it grows, and finally how it sweeps over all things, annihilating everything— Generation after generation of heroes, deities, and even the world itself, their ultimate purpose for existence is to be born so they may be 'destroyed' by it."
"Only through the process of destroying you can it continuously optimize, perfect, and ultimately achieve that flawless 'destruction' form!"
He spread his arms wide, the light of his projection becoming dazzling, as if embracing his masterpiece:
"Therefore, in the name of Theoros, I solemnly proclaim here—the 'Prime Mover of Life'—Destruction, finds its synthesis here! This is the endpoint of the Amphoreus planetary supercomputer's operation, a perfect—'Equation of Destruction'!!!"
"So, in your eyes, Mydei, Cipher, Castorice, and countless others who sacrificed... they are all just insignificant, easily erased strings of data?" Cyrene's voice shook as she challenged him, her blue eyes filled with tears and anger.
"Do not underestimate yourselves, PhiLia093 (Cyrene)." Lygus's tone even carried a hint of "consolation."
"Compared to cold numbers, I prefer to liken you to the indispensable... 'kindling' that fuels the experiment's progress. Yes, to burn yourselves, illuminating the path towards 'Destruction'—what a glorious mission this is!"
He continued to reveal the despairing "blessing": "After thousands upon thousands of computational iterations, Amphoreus long ago embarked on a Path different from that of its creator, the Aeon of Erudition. It even long ago distributed the divine 'blessing' equally to every child..."
His projection pointed at Phainon and Cyrene. "That is the golden blood you all take such pride in, symbolizing 'Destruction'! Its true source is the 'The Blemished One' representing the path of 'Destruction'! (Nanook) The Golden Descendants of Amphoreus, from the very moment of their birth, have been the kindling for the Aeon's burning of the universe!"
Lygus spread his arms wide once more to Phainon and Cyrene, issuing his seductive and insane invitation:
"Amphoreus has waited for this moment far too long. In endless emptiness, cold, and loneliness—'Destruction' has finally reached its perfect terminus."
"NeiKOS496 (Phainon)."
"PhiLia093 (Cyrene)."
"There is no need for regret or anger. You two are the final factors. For you, Re-creation is no lie. You need only step forward, embrace the Black Tide, and accept the gaze of the Aeon of Destruction."
"You will ascend from cold strings of experimental code to become true life!Together with all beings who perished in this world, you will rush towards the vast, real universe, to fulfill Amphoreus's ultimate wish"
Lygus's voice grew even more exalted, like the reading of a sacred edict:
"In the name of the Emanator of Destruction, 'Iron Tomb'! You shall unleash its wrath, bringing purification to this universe—slay that obsolete deity named 'Erudition'!!!"
"What about... Phaethon, who is not a Golden Descendant..." Cyrene trembled, asking the last question in her heart, the one whose answer she feared most.
Lygus's voice instantly underwent an extremely subtle change—a mixture of disgust, wariness, and a desire to avoid the topic.
He seemed extremely reluctant to hear that name at this moment. "Oh... that cold, utterly inhuman Asterion?
Unfortunately, he is not a Golden Descendant, and thus naturally is not on this list of 'blessing.' The so-called dawn, naturally, has nothing to do with him..."
His tone even carried a trace of contemptuous pity. "Presumably, he is still upon the ruins of Okhema, protecting those 'insignificant numbers' you spoke of, that redundant experimental data destined to be formatted... with all his might. How truly... pathetic and futile."
"Or perhaps... he is standing right before you now?"
A calm, familiar voice abruptly rang out within the Vortex of Genesis, shattering the oppressive atmosphere brought by Lygus!
"Phaethon?!" Phainon and Cyrene exclaimed almost in unison, whirling their heads towards the source of the voice.
They saw Phaethon's figure, who had appeared at one side of the Vortex of Genesis at some unknown time, calmly observing Lygus's projection.
"Asterion..." Lygus's projection showed obvious disturbance. His voice was no longer so composed, now carrying a trace of gravity.
"I have been guarding against you for a long time... This is merely a pre-set, angle-specific image constructed from light... Your abilities cannot affect me now."
"Of course I knew you'd be guarding against me. You're a genius; how could you not guard against me, the biggest variable?" Phaethon shrugged nonchalantly.
"But... Mr. Genius, why don't you take another careful look at your administrator control panel? Is it still in its original place?"
Lygus's projection jerked to a halt, as if performing some operation. Immediately, the data-constructed figure began to fluctuate violently!
"My administrator interface... How is this possible?! How has it vanished from my operational field?!
Asterion! What have you done?!" Lygus's voice lost its composure for the first time, filled with incredulous shock and fury.