"Adam…"
Though he had guessed it, seeing it with his own eyes still brought a pang of grief.
After all, this "Adam" was the very first true persona he had created after advancing to Sequence 4.
He had been forced to remain in the Naruto world, bitterly holding the line, barely maintaining the balance.
Suddenly, "Adam" opened his eyes.
His light-gold irises were pure and clear, like those of an innocent child.
No…
In that instant, Uchiha Sogetsu noticed it—Adam's inner self had been replaced by another personality!
And in this City of Miracles, Liveseyd…
There was only one being capable of replacing Adam's persona.
The Dragon of Imagination—Ankewelt.
He gently closed the book, then slowly stood up.
Facing the wary Uchiha Sogetsu, his expression was calm and composed.
"This should be our first meeting."
"How should I address you?"
His tone was calm and casual, like an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time.
"Of course, I mean 'true name,'" he added with a faint light in his eyes. "You should understand what I mean, right?"
Looking at the 'Adam' before him, both familiar and strange, Uchiha Sogetsu fell silent for a moment.
It seemed like long-forgotten memories were stirring within him.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, "Sogetsu. Just call me Sogetsu. That's my name."
"Although you have probably guessed my identity already."
His eyes, cold and clear, fixed steadily on Sogetsu as he slowly said, "But out of courtesy and respect, I still need to introduce myself."
"All right."
Sogetsu nodded slightly and waited quietly.
"My name is Ankewelt, the Dragon of Imagination."
Ankewelt's voice was soft, yet it cut through the darkness of the library like the dawn breaking chaos, making it as bright as day.
"I am the ruler of the Dragon King's court, king of all dragons, the lord of the divine kingdom Liveseyd, a dragon soaring over the Sea of Collective Subconscious, and the very first Visionary!"
"It is an honor to meet you, Dragon of Imagination, Lord Ankewelt."
Uchiha Sogetsu held a measure of respect for this 'god' who had once contended for power against the 'God Almighty' in the First Era.
In that chaotic time, in a way, Ankewelt was a pioneer who laid the foundation for the 'Spectator' Pathway. For such an existence, respect was a necessary virtue.
However, Ankewelt waved his hand dismissively, showing no joy on his face, and calmly said, "As you know, I am also a 'failure.'"
"But that doesn't erase your former glory, does it?" Sogetsu replied.
"Glory? Maybe so."
Ankewelt showed a trace of self-mockery on his face and sighed, "From the very beginning, I fell into 'His' trap. The so-called 'glory' was nothing but a joke."
In response, Uchiha Sogetsu remained silent.
Ankewelt's story—from ascending to a True God, to his downfall, and finally being outwitted by 'Adam'—no matter how you look at it, seemed to always have the shadow of the 'Ancient Sun God' behind it!
This was evident from the fact that Ankewelt, though a True God, had already started creating the Groselle's Travels early on and spread it widely.
Unfortunately, his plans were still seen through by the 'Ancient Sun God.' After being reborn as 'Adam,' he used Audrey's power to wipe out this once idealistic Dragon of Imagination.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, he directly entered Sequence Zero and stepped into the half-step Great Old One.
"You know me well enough. You should understand why I failed, right?"
Ankewelt looked at Him with interest, as if expecting an answer.
After a brief hesitation, Uchiha Sogetsu wasn't sure what the True God's intentions were but nodded and said, "I understand a little."
"Tell me."
Ankewelt slightly raised his hand, eyes filled with a hint of expectation.
Uchiha Sogetsu twisted the corner of his mouth, thought for a moment, then said, "Did you underestimate the 'Ancient Sun God'?"
"Not entirely because of the 'Ancient Sun God.'"
Ankewelt looked at him meaningfully and slowly said, "You haven't noticed the real 'problem.'
The ancient Sun God's scheme was brilliant, but it couldn't change the overall situation.
The true mastermind behind all this should be...
At this point, he suddenly paused and stared at Uchiha Sogetsu, as if waiting for him to continue.
"God Almighty."
Uchiha Sogetsu's eyes flickered slightly, and he slowly uttered the word.
"Can you guess why?"
Ankewelt asked playfully, like a teacher questioning a student.
Uchiha Sogetsu frowned deeply.
He was a little confused by this 'true god's' strange attitude and even more unclear about his thoughts.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally replied, "What gathers must separate, and what separates must gather—is that the reason?"
"Yes. What separates will inevitably gather again, and what gathers will inevitably separate."
A look of admiration appeared in Ankewelt's eyes, but then his expression darkened slightly, and he sighed, "Unfortunately, back then, although I knew this saying, I didn't understand its deeper meaning."
"Death, to 'God Almighty,' is just a state."
His expression turned bitter, and loneliness showed in his eyes.
He whispered, "I was wrong—too impatient, wrong to touch the 'Chaos Sea,' wrong to think 'He' was dead.
But Adam was wrong too.
The ancient Sun God thought he could replace 'Him,' but in truth, he only delayed 'His' awakening."
Hearing this, although he had read the original story, Uchiha Sogetsu couldn't help but ask, "Is there really no way at all?"
"Who said there's no way?"
At that moment, Ankewelt seemed to shed his deep loneliness.
A bright light appeared in his eyes as he looked at Uchiha Sogetsu and smiled.
"You are the best example, aren't you? You are the ultimate way to completely break free from 'God Almighty,' Sogetsu."
These words struck Uchiha Sogetsu like thunder, causing his pupils to shrink sharply.
His subconscious stirred violently.
"What do you mean?"
Suddenly, a chill ran down his back, as if a terrible thought had surfaced.
"Only when you reach the level of 'Adam' will you be qualified to understand."
Ankewelt smiled calmly, then handed over the book, his eyes shining with a deep light.
Uchiha Sogetsu took the book and lowered his head. When he saw the name on the cover, his pupils instantly contracted: "White Zetsu's Travels?!"
At that moment, Ankewelt slowly said:
"A strange potion pathway, an abnormal Naruto, a completely disrupted plot, the confused Toshi, unable to distinguish the real world from the false. With Director Getsu's help, he gradually recognized the truth of the world, and thus treated the dreamlike fantasy world as a game."
"But is it really a game?"
"Is Toshi sick, or is the world itself sick?"
"In the end, Toshi saw the truth of the world, but lost himself and became a puppet."
Ankewelt's voice echoed in his ear. He pressed his lips into a line and smiled, "This gift — the ending of this novel — are you satisfied?"
It turned out, the key to ascending the Sequence 1 was 'White Zetsu'!
*******
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