What exactly is the Black Tide?
A thick curiosity welled up in the audience's hearts.
It could drive Titans mad. It could also wipe out an entire city-state in an instant.
Those grotesquely twisted monsters, along with the filthy, viscous pollution clinging to them, no matter how you looked at it, it didn't resemble anything native to Amphoreus.
It had far too strong a Cthulhu vibe. As the audience pondered this in their minds, the scene on screen shifted once again to within the Grove of Epiphany.
Stelle also looked a bit dispirited. She said dejectedly, "Still can't find a single living person ..."
But compared to Stelle, Trianne and Castorice were noticeably more confident.
Trianne said energetically, full of vigor, "Everything will be fine! The people at the Grove are really smart. They'll definitely be able to chase away the black tide!"
"Mm!"
Castorice nodded firmly. "Lady Aglaea said that Teacher Anaxa is still alive. If that's true, then there's still hope for everyone else too..."
Anaxa? The inexplicable trust the two showed toward this person made Mem curious.
"Who is this Anaxa anyway? Why does everybody seem to have some kind of trust in him?" Mem asked.
"How should I put it..."
Hearing the question, Castorice opened her mouth, then pressed her lips together, unsure how to respond.
In the end, she slowly spoke, "Lady Aglaea doesn't "trust" Anaxa at all, I'm afraid."
"Despite being a Chrysos Heir, Anaxa resolutely believes that Titans and prophecies are a load of nonsense."
"During our regular citizens' assemblies, he always votes to oppose the Flame-Chase Journey."
Listening to their descriptions, an image had already taken shape in the audience's mind, a rebellious figure, defiant and opposed to the mainstream.
"Huh? And he's still able to conduct research here? Didn't you just say that the Grove is an academy that was established around a Titan?" Stelle asked a question.
Trianne, raised her hand and spoke up, "Trianne knows the answer to that! Everybody says that Cerces, who symbolizes reason, is the most tolerant of novel ideas. Apart from Kephale, they're the Titan who treats us the best."
"Well, it looks like Cerces must really be open-minded if they're accepting of even this kind of novel idea." Mem was suddenly curious about the Reason Titan.
Stelle also raised an eyebrow, and the audience couldn't help but laugh.
First Aglaea, then Castorice.
Although they still hadn't seen this Anaxa in person, an image of him had already roughly formed in the audience's minds.
...
: Could he be the Gandalf-type 'scholar'?
: Researching such heretical theories in a theocratic world... tsk tsk, sounds like a scholar with heretical talent maxed out.
: I still remember the shock Ratio gave me when he first appeared. Physics in the hands of these scholars is really 'physics'.
: Hahahaha, damn.
...
The comments scrolled past.
Anaxa's appearance acted like a shot of adrenaline for the audience. It also let many of the audience breathe a sigh of relief.
They really didn't want to see the Grove of Epiphany slaughtered to the last person.
On screen, Trianne said with overflowing energy, "So, Little Gray and Little Cas, just leave the task of finding Anaxa and everyone else to Trianne! It's easy for Trianne to look for people because we can fly!"
Those words somehow eased the tension.
Castorice looked at Trianne helplessly, both worried and indulgent. "Lady Trianne, please promise us that you'll take care of yourself."
"Do not open the Gate unless you have no other choice, Lady Trianne. Your body is... not in good shape at the moment."
Trianne nodded without much concern and replied perfunctorily, "Ah... Okay, we will keep that in mind. Trianne was just trying to help..."
The conversation among the two didn't really register with the audience.
Although Castorice and Aglaea had repeatedly mentioned Trianne's physical condition, it was like Chekhov's gun.
The audience knew that this detail might later lead to a tense plot development, but Chekhov's gun usually doesn't fire until the last few chapters.
Judging by how the story was progressing, if someone was going to get cut, it would be Phainon and Mydei first.
So for now, the foreshadowing around Trianne didn't make the audience feel particularly urgent.
After all, this was MiHoYo, not RomSoftware, and the advisor wasn't Miyazaki Hidetaka.
It wouldn't suddenly pull a fast-slow blade, right?
Stelle and Castorice continued deeper into the Grove to investigate.
Trianne, relying on her ability to fly, began acting alone to scout for traces of Anaxa and the others.
The source of the golden threads was also divided into two parts.
One part was in Castorice's hands, while the spindle was in Trianne's hands.
This way, anything the golden threads detected could be transmitted to both sides at the first moment.
As Stelle and Castorice went deeper, they reached the core area of the Grove of Epiphany, the heart of the Titan.
But the door leading into the room where the Titan's heart lay was locked.
Just as everyone was at a loss, an exasperated voice rand out.
Mem, seeing Stelle unable to open the door, waved her little hands, "Since this door is a creation of the Three Titans of Fate, maybe the eyes of Oronyx will help me find a way to open it..."
"Are you serious? Just a mere door, and your first instinct is to call on the gods?"
At the sound of the voice, Mem, Stelle, and Castorice all jumped in surprise.
Here, a special mark was emitting light. Above the mark, a semi-transparent body of icy crystal flickered.
It was a tall figure, wearing a long robe, a one-eyed young man with an eyepatch covering one eye.
He folded his arms and looked at them leisurely.
"Memi...!? You scared me! Are you... the echoes of a memory?" Mem's fur stood on end as she hid behind Stelle.
Anaxa's image glanced at Mem, then withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "My name is Anaxagoras, one of the Seven Sages of the Grove of Epiphany and the founder of the Nousporists. Before we go any further: Rule number one, do not call me Anaxa."
"Rule number two: Never interrupt me. Silence is golden."
Just those two short sentences, and an oppressive presence washed over Stelle and Mem, making them wary.
Even some of the audience members outside the screen who were still in school sensed a familiar aura.
There was no mistake. That was the aura of a school principal or a university director.
This feeling was exactly the same as when they first saw Ratio back then.
...
: Such overwhelming pressure!
: So this is what Anaxa is really like.
: Now I finally understand why the Anaxa in Aglaea's and Castorice's words felt like two different people.
: This feeling can't be wrong, damn it, I ran into someone similar just last week at school.
: Too terrifying. After seeing Anaxa, my knees started trembling.
: Even more frightening than a homeroom teacher-level existence....
: Suddenly feels like, with someone like this around, the Grove of Epiphany might actually be saved.
....
Anaxa's first appearance left a deep impression on the audience.
On screen, ignoring the varied looks in the three people's eyes.
Anaxa spoke on and on, delivering his prepared lecture without pause.
"The person standing here and conversing with you right now isn't the vestiges of a memory. Rather, it is the culmination of the greatness of science and the pure, irrefutable, and undeniable exalted truth."
"Through the wonders of alchemy, I have shattered my soul and transmuted it into gold before burying it in this spot. I have recorded these words so that visitors may learn where their next destination lies."
Through Anaxa's words, everyone finally learned what had happened in the Grove of Epiphany.
First came the Black Tide. But those twisted monsters were actually the easiest part to deal with.
What was truly troublesome was the Black Tide's pollution. Just like the unknown black contamination observed earlier by Stelle, this stuff spread across the entire Grove of Epiphany in an extremely short time.
The sages' defenses collapsed at the first touch, and a large number of people were contaminated.
Fortunately, the power of knowledge was still useful. The contamination was temporarily isolated, and before the Black Tide reached the core area, the sages had already managed to evacuate most of the people.
These people were now on their way to Okhema.
Only a small number of scholars stayed behind with Anaxa to defend the Grove of Epiphany.
After all, this place that gathered Amphoreus's wisdom contained countless precious records and knowledge.
At the same time, Cerces's Coreflame would soon arrive at Okhema. In this way, both people and the Coreflame would be preserved.
Anaxa's orderly and methodical explanation also drew admiration from the audience.
Anaxa truly lived up to all the prior buildup.
"As expected of Teacher Anaxa!" Castorice let out a sigh of relief.
Stelle scratched her head, feeling an inexplicable sense of loss.
The troubles they had faced earlier seemed to be resolved all at once the moment this person appeared.
However, just as the three had finally relaxed. Anaxa suddenly changed his tone and said lightly:
"...But since you have accessed this message, something unforeseen must have occurred. For now, you should continue onward to the Luminary Throne where you may retrieve the Coreflame... and our mortal remains."
"And now, the objective is complete. That is all."
As his words fell, Anaxa's soul fragment disappeared directly.
Just as his words revealed his personality. Decisive, direct, without the slightest hesitation, carrying a strong scholarly style.
Leaving behind only the two of them, a pink creature and countless audiences, all struck flat by this sudden emotional roller coaster.
...
: Huh????
: Bro, what kind of twist is this?!
: Gone in an instant?!
: Wasn't everything already arranged? Didn't the protagonists just come out fine?!
: Isn't this knife a bit too fast, man? I haven't even built up my emotions yet, how is he already dead?!
: Damn it, MiHoYo is really getting less and less humane… They used to at least build things up before killing people, now they just kill without any buildup at all?!
: No, wait! What exactly is MiHoYo plotting here?
: Judging by the wisdom Anaxa showed, it should be possible too.
: Damn it, is the main theme of Amphoreus just kill, kill, kill, kill, kill? This death was way too fast!
: I can't take it anymore. Feels like MiHoYo is in a state of: get angry - kill people, don't get angry - kill people, huh?
...
The audience was completely stunned.
After all, judging by Amphoreus' overall tone. Every Chrysos Heirs should be an existence worthy of extensive portrayal.
No, rather. Every character should have a storyline belonging uniquely to themselves.
Something like Anaxa, appearing at light speed, dying at light speed, and even announcing his own death, this was the first time they had ever seen such a thing.
And on screen, the few of them were all frozen in place.
Stelle pursed her lips and glanced at Castorice.
To be honest she didn't even know Anaxa. To say she was deeply saddened wouldn't really be true.
But seeing Castorice, her own mood grew heavy as well, yet she didn't know how to comfort her.
"..." After a moment of silence, Castorice forcibly suppressed the emotional turmoil in her heart and said with pursed lips, "Perhaps they were just unable to transfer the Coreflame, but managed to escape..."
"Anyway, our top priority now is to follow Teacher Anaxa's final message."
Even though she was unwilling from the bottom of her heart to accept the fact that Anaxa was dead.
Castorice understood, in the current situation, if something went wrong with the Coreflame, that would truly be the last remaining extension of their efforts.
They rushed straight towards the Luminary Throne like unidentified flying objects.
After entering the door which was locked earlier, the pollution inside was indeed far more severe.
Many of the scenes Castorice was once familiar with had already been destroyed or contaminated.
Besides that, the density of Black Tide creations was also much higher than outside.
And as they went deeper, the golden thread in Castorice's arms began to tremble violently.
Aglaea's creation had a certain range. When they were outside, it could not reach the Luminary Throne.
But once they were near the Luminary Throne, the golden thread could gradually detect the region. Such intense trembling made Castorice deeply uneasy.
"This is the first time I've seen Lady Aglaea's golden thread… trembling at this frequency… Teacher Anaxa... he-"
When mentioning words related to death, Castorice instinctively tried to avoid them.
But the audience understood, the existence that caused Anaxa's death was still lingering.
After the long buildup of the Black Tide and Anaxa's death, they had already begun to feel tense.
That was an instinctive reaction when facing an unknown, powerful existence.